Written Answers. - Mental Health Services.
Liz McManus
Question:
161
Ms McManus
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
his views on whether the best way of ensuring that people with mental illness have access to services is through rights-based legislation and that Irish legislation should reflect the full range of applicable international human rights standards as advised by Amnesty International; if, in view of the fact that the WHO is currently drafting a manual on mental health legislation to outline exactly what this should contain, he proposes to adopt such mental health law; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[12559/03]
The Mental Health Act 2001 which was enacted in July 2001 will significantly improve safeguards for mentally disordered persons who are involuntarily admitted for psychiatric care and treatment. The Act will bring Irish law in this area into conformity with the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. The main vehicle for the implementation of the Mental Health Act 2001 is the Mental Health Commission which was established with effect from 5 April 2002. The establishment of the commission was welcomed by Amnesty International in its recent report.
The Mental Health Commission has an important role to play in improving the quality of our mental health services. The primary functions of the commission are to promote and foster high standards and good practices in the delivery of mental health services and to ensure that the interests of detained persons are protected. The Mental Health Commission is now working, along with officials from my Department, to put in place the structures required for its new role. The commission will shortly appoint an inspector of mental health services. The inspector will be required to visit and inspect all approved centres at least once a year. The inspector's annual report and review of the mental health services will be published and laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas, along with the commission's annual report.
It is noted that the WHO is currently drafting a manual on mental health legislation, the recommendations of the WHO will be considered in the context of any further legislative amendments in the mental health area.
Liz McManus
Question:
162
Ms McManus
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
his views on the picture presented in Amnesty International's report - Mental Illness. The Neglected Quarter; the reason he deals with this issue by merely referring to what has been done in recent years, since it clearly is not enough; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[12560/03]
Amnesty International's recently published report, Mental Illness – The Neglected Quarter, highlighted areas of genuine concern in relation to mental health services. These are concerns which the Government shares and which it intends to address.
The Amnesty report acknowledges the significant advances made in this country in the provision of community psychiatry, nursing services, community residences, day hospitals and day centres since the publication of the landmark 1984 report, Planning for the Future. This Government is committed to ongoing improvements in the mental health services, to the further development and expansion of community mental health services, to increasing child and adolescent services, to expanding the old age psychiatry services, to providing liaison psychiatry services in general hospitals and to enhancing the support provided to voluntary agencies. The Amnesty report also acknowledges the funding which is being made available by Government to support groups and organisations such as Schizophrenia Ireland, Mental Health Ireland, GROW and Aware to heighten awareness and develop support services for service users and carers.
I particularly welcome the report's recommendation for a comprehensive review of the mental health services, which reflects a commitment in the health strategy, Quality and Fairness, to the development of a new national policy framework on mental health. Work on this review is expected to commence shortly. In describing the shortcomings and deficiencies of the existing mental health services, this report has highlighted the scale of the challenge facing both Government and Irish society as a whole, in seeking to reduce the stigma traditionally associated with mental illness and, by extension, the mental health services. The Mental Health Commission, established in April of last year under the provisions of the Mental Health Act 2001, has an important role to play in improving the quality of our mental health services. The establishment of the commission was welcomed by Amnesty International in its report. The primary functions of the commission are to promote and foster high standards and good practices in the delivery of mental health services and to ensure that the interests of detained persons are protected. The Mental Health Commission is now working, along with officials from my Department, to put in place the structures required for its new role.
I am committed to further improving the quality of care and service delivery in the mental health services, and I will be seeking additional resources for this purpose during my term of office as Minister of State.
John Gormley
Question:
163
Mr. Gormley
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
if he has met with Amnesty International in relation to its current campaign on mental health issues; if so, the outcome of the meeting; and if not, if Amnesty has requested such a meeting.
[12561/03]
The Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Martin, was due to meet with Amnesty International but this meeting had to be postponed. It is expected that he will meet with the group in the near future. However, I recently had a meeting with officials from Amnesty International during which a number of issues were discussed.
John Gormley
Question:
164
Mr. Gormley
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
if he has plans to introduce an education and awareness campaign on mental health in view of the fact that stigma acts as a barrier to the utilisation of available services by people with mental illness and their families.
[12562/03]
John Gormley
Question:
165
Mr. Gormley
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
his views on the WHO recommendations in its annual report 2001, endorsed by Amnesty International, which advises that well-planned public awareness and education campaigns can reduce stigma and discrimination, increase the use of mental health ser vices, and bring mental and physical health care closer to each other.
[12563/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 164 and 165 together.
Mental health is equally as important as physical health to the overall well-being of a person and poor mental health can have a significant impact on both the quality of life of the individual as well as on their contribution to society. The health promotion unit of my Department is fully committed to the promotion of positive mental health and to stigma reduction initiatives.
The unit has developed strong links with each of the health boards and supports the health promotion efforts of mental health organisations like Mental Health Ireland, Aware, Schizophrenia Ireland and GROW. These organisations are committed to raising public awareness of mental health issues, to educating the population with regard to these issues and work to eradicate the stigma associated with mental health.
While there are no plans at present to develop an education and awareness campaign on mental health, I am fully committed to providing continued support to the health boards and to voluntary organisations in their mental health promotion efforts. In the meantime, I will review the need to develop such a campaign.
John Gormley
Question:
166
Mr. Gormley
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
if the necessary expansion of civil mental health facilities and staff will be put in place in the prison system, before the enactment of the Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2002, in view of the fact that no in-patient alternatives exist; and if not, if this Bill will be withdrawn.
[12564/03]
There will be financial implications arising from the enactment of the Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2002. These will be considered in the context of the Estimates process.
John Gormley
Question:
167
Mr. Gormley
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
his views on Amnesty International's condemnation of the treatment of prisoners with mental illness in need of in-patient care within the prison system as disgraceful.
[12565/03]
I share the concern expressed in Amnesty International's recent report concerning the provision of mental health services to prisoners.
As the prison population has expanded in recent years, the services of the Central Mental Hospital have come under increasing pressure, resulting in delays in the transfer of mentally ill prisoners to the hospital. The shortage of in-patient psychiatric beds for prisoners has been com mented upon by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, CPT. In response to the concerns expressed by the CPT and with a view to eliminating delays in the provision of in-patient psychiatric care to prisoners, the Government has established a special committee to draw up a service level agreement on the admission of mentally ill prisoners to the Central Mental Hospital. This committee comprises representatives from my Department, the Irish Prison Service, the East Coast Area Health Board and the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. I understand that the committee's work is nearing completion.
Over €500,000 has been spent on refurbishment of the Central Mental Hospital since 1999. However, there is an acceptance by all parties that a more substantial redevelopment is required. In December 2000, the East Coast Area Health Board, in conjunction with the Eastern Regional Health Authority, the Department Of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and my Department established a group to review the future role of the Central Mental Hospital. The review group's report was submitted to the Eastern Regional Health Authority and the Department of Health and Children in 2002. The report includes plans to modernise, refurbish and extend the existing building and to provide a new residence on the campus.
The Minister for Health and Children has accepted, in principle, the main thrust of the report of the review group and a special project team representative of all the main stakeholders, including the Irish Prison Service, has now been established to progress the matter as quickly as possible.
