I thank you, a Cheann Comhairle, for allowing me raise this matter on the Adjournment. Also I thank the Minister for coming into the House to reply. This is my first opportunity to wish the Minister every success and I hope, apart from delivering on this matter, we will see the completion of phase II of Castlebar Hospital, incorporating an orthopaedic unit, during his term of office. We will have words on that again.
The psychiatric day centre which started in Westport in 1986 transferred in 1988 to a rented premises, in effect, a private house in Westport. This was in keeping with the policy of the health services and, particularly, the report on the development of psychiatric services —Planning for the Future— in developing a full comprehensive community based psychiatric service. The substantial reduction in the numbers of patients institutionalised, from 939 patients in 1971 to 246 this year, is correspondingly reflected in the increased number of day care centres in the Western Health Board from eight in 1983 to 22 ten years later. This is most welcome. If services in the community are to be successful they must be properly funded and the case I make this evening deserves the highest priority.
Since 1988 these rented premises in Westport have had no structural adaptation and modernisation despite staff levels having increased by 300 per cent at a minimum. The number of patients attending the centre is 48 with an average daily attendance of at least 50 per cent. In addition on Mondays and Thursdays the situation is chaotic where the outpatients clinic has a throughput of ten to 15 additional patients who are attended by a psychiatrist and an alcoholism counsellor. A number of the patients are elderly. Sanitary facilities in the building comprise a bathroom upstairs which has not been adapted to assist nursing staff in lifting patients. The downstairs toilet is outdoors and the kitchen, which produces on average 20 meals a day, is in need of modernisation.The adjoining garage of this private rented house, which houses a boiler unit to heat it, is used as a recreation room for playing darts and other purportedly occupational therapy facilities for patients. The occupational room upstairs is used as a doctors' consultation room on Mondays and Thursdays when the additional out-patient facilities are being used, and this is most unsatisfactory.
In the report of the Inspector of Mental Hospitals the overall standards were considered satisfactory but the inspector suggested that consideration be given to relocation to larger premises and the reason is obvious to anyone who visits the premises. Patients are crowded together and, I am sure, the fire prevention officer, if pressed on the matter, would be dissatisfied with the present accommodation.
Westport is one of five designated sectors in Mayo. It has a population of approximately 25,000 people, located mainly in sparsely populated rural areas. Most sectors in Mayo have, in addition to modern day care facilities, residential care facilities. I do not know why the Westport area has fallen so far behind in the revision of day care and residential care, but the present position cannot be allowed continue. The Westport area is fortunate in having a dedicated staff under Dr. Craven, psychiatrist, and Nurse Mary Joyce. Their continued professionalism in working under the present conditions must be matched by a response to the Western Health Board development plans. This should be the priority community project in County Mayo. No capital funding was made available to psychiatric services in 1994 for the entire county of Mayo. A sum of £100,000 is sought in 1995 to allow for the proper establishment of a day care centre to meet the needs of the Westport sector. I hope the Minister will be in a position to respond favourably to this request.
