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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 24 Jun 1992

Vol. 421 No. 5

Written Answers. - Closure of Psychiatric Hospitals.

Tom Enright

Question:

69 Mr. Enright asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to media reports (details supplied) regarding the proposed closure and sell-off of a number of psychiatric hospitals across the country; if he will confirm the accuracy or otherwise of this report; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that there is a great lack of back-up and support services; if these proposals are to proceed, hardship, pain and suffering will be caused to a large number of patients across the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

The process of providing a comprehensive community based service in place of the traditional model based on the psychiatric hospital has been ongoing for a number of years now and the Green Paper on Mental Health launched by me earlier this month on the 3rd June, among other things outlines what still needs to be done to complete the transition. I must emphasise that there is no question of these hospitals being closed down until adequate community based facilities and services in general hospitals are provided to replace them. This will be done on a phased basis over a number of years but I would hope that it could be achieved as quickly as possible.

Before any closures can take place great care has to be taken to ensure that existing patients are trained and taught how to adapt to the new services being provided for them. This can be a traumatic experience for somebody who has been institutionalised for a number of years.

The Report of the Inspector of Mental Hospitals for the years 1988 and 1989 which was laid before each House of the Oireachtas and a copy forwarded to the President of the High Court on 2 June 1992 indicates that many of these hospitals are no longer suited to provide a standard of care appropriate to the end of the 20th century. This is a further reason why the closure of these hospitals will need to be considered.

The Programme for Economic and Social Progress includes a commitment to complete the transition to a community based and integrated psychiatric service. These developments should not be seen or thought of in the negative sense of closing psychiatric hospitals but in the positive sense of the provision of a community based comprehensive psychiatric service in line with the best modern day clinical practice.

My first objective in each case is to put in place alternative facilities so that there will be no further admissions to the psychiatric hospitals and then to begin the slower task of relocating the patients currently resident in the hospitals.

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