asked the Minister for Health if he will make a statement regarding continuing assertions by a person (details supplied) in Dublin 3 concerning the treatment of patients in St. Brendan's Hospital, Dublin 7; the present position regarding his inquiries and investigations into this matter; if his attention has been drawn to the large volume of correspondence on file in his Department in this respect; and if he will have this matter resolved as quickly as possible.
Written Answers. - Treatment of Patient Allegations.
19.
The person referred to by the Deputy has made continuing assertions mainly about his mother's treatment while she was a patient in St. Brendan's Hospital from mid 1984 to end 1985. My private secretary wrote to the person concerned on 3 February 1988 informing him that I had reviewed all aspects of the case. He was informed that both the Eastern Health Board, which has statutory responsibility for providing patient care in St. Brendan's Hospital, and the acting inspector of mental hospitals, who has statutory powers and duties to investigate alleged ill-treatment of patients in psychiatric hospitals, are satisfied that there was no negligence or ill-treatment of his mother in St. Brendan's Hospital and that I do not intend to make any further inquiry on this issue. I wrote to the Deputy enclosing a copy of this letter on 3 February 1988.
These replies were based on the large volume of correspondence already on file in my Department in this respect and I am fully aware of their contents.
This person's continuing assertions are a restatement of complaints already made which have been fully investigated by the appropriate authorities and replied to. I do not propose to hold any further inquiries or investigations into this case.