Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 8 Feb 2006

Vol. 182 No. 15

Adjournment Matters.

School Transport.

Mr. Finucane

On 23 May 2005, a fatal bus crash occurred at Kentstown, near Navan, in which five school children tragically died when the bus toppled over. There was an understandable public outcry and the Government was obliged to react. In July 2005, €36.5 million was provided, and 130 buses were to be added to the school bus fleet. The Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Hanafin, stated at the time that the school system would continue to maintain the highest standards. The bus tragedy in Meath focused attention on the necessity of providing seat belts.

I was recently approached by a parent in the Galbally area, where approximately 30 children attend second level schools in Tipperary town. The school provides transport for approximately 30 pupils to Lisvernane school. The bus providing the service is an old Bus Éireann vehicle, which in recent times has been the subject of breakdowns due to mechanical defects. Following one of these breakdowns, one of the parents had to provide substitute transport at short notice. Regrettably, she was involved in an accident in which her car skidded and considerable damage was done to the vehicle.

The bus being used is not fitted with seat belts and it must travel on winding rural roads which in many parts are not satisfactory. Many of these old Bus Éireann buses are not suitable for the fitting of seat belts. The pupils using the bus are entitled to feel secure when being transported to school. The parents are rightfully concerned about their children and they need positive reassurance that a more modern school bus will be provided equipped with seat belts. I look forward to a positive response indicating that the Minister will ensure suitable and safe transport.

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science (Miss de Valera)

I welcome this opportunity to outline to the Seanad the position regarding school transport services in the areas referred to by Senator Finucane. In general, Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport service on behalf of my Department, plans bus routes in such a way to ensure that, as far as possible, eligible students have a reasonable standard of service. At the same time, every effort is made to ensure that school transport vehicles are fully utilised in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

The company places special emphasis on safety, and to this end has a wide range of checking procedures in place to ensure a safe and reliable service. These procedures are reviewed on an ongoing basis to ensure that standards are maintained and that all relevant regulations, as laid down by the Department of Transport, are complied with.

With regard to the case referred to by Senator Finucane, Bus Éireann has reported to my Department on the school bus that normally operates from the Galbally area to Tipperary town for second level students, and which also provides a service for primary school children attending Lisvernane national school. The bus was temporarily withdrawn from service by Bus Éireann last week to enable it to undergo its scheduled annual roadworthiness test, which it passed. This bus has a satisfactory operating record, and it has not broken down this year.

While undergoing the test, the bus was replaced by a spare school bus which suffered a mechanical failure on two consecutive days. On both occasions a replacement bus was provided, but the timetable was inevitably delayed while the replacement bus made its way to the scene of the breakdown. A small number of children waited for the replacement bus to arrive, while others decided to make alternative arrangements rather than wait.

While any mechanically-operated vehicle may be prone to breaking down for any number of reasons regardless of the standard of maintenance involved, it is more unusual for a bus to break down on consecutive days. Bus Éireann regrets the inconvenience caused to the families on this occasion and reassures them that arrangements are made to provide vehicle cover in the event of a breakdown.

On the issue of safety belts, Bus Éireann has initiated a programme to retrofit its existing school bus fleet with safety belts in accordance with the timetable I announced in July 2005. The acquisition of additional buses to facilitate one-for-one seating arrangements is also in hand and all these buses will be fitted with safety belts. In general, safety belts are to be fitted on all services provided under the school transport scheme by the end of December 2006, and I understand the process is on target for completion within that timeframe.

County Boundaries.

Mr. Dooley

I welcome the Minister of State to the House to discuss what I believe to be a critical issue, not just for County Clare, but in its principle to many counties bordering expanding towns and cities. It would be welcome if the Government set about developing guidelines to ensure that some towns or counties do not get the wrong impression regarding what is acceptable.

This issue relates to the application to the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government by Limerick City Council with a view to expanding into the territory of County Clare. The Minister of State is aware that one's county is an integral part of one's identity and sense of community. Any attempt to change a county boundary, taking people from one county to another, can have a profound impact on the lives and sense of identity and belonging to a particular area. I hope the Minister of State will give due consideration to this.

The matter I am raising is a real concern in County Clare, particularly in south-east Clare, as it is the area under consideration, threat or attack, depending on one's view. I do not wish to overly dramatise this matter, but there is a threat to the identity of the people in this area. The area I come from and live in is not directly included in this application, but I feel for the people in the area affected. If it were to affect me, I would feel very aggrieved. I am making this strong demand of the Minister of State and his officials on behalf of the people affected by this matter.

I strongly object to Limerick City Council's intention to even consider County Clare as a suitable location in which to expand. The matter should get due consideration from the Minister of State given the importance of retaining the integrity of county boundaries for administrative reasons. From the perspective of the Electoral Commission, there is a clear policy in the protocols associated with boundary committees when they deal with constituencies, and an effort is made to protect existing boundaries. Surely Limerick city should look to its own county first to satisfy its expansion needs. I am not suggesting that the city should not look to expand to cater for the growth in its structure. I will not suggest how it goes about this process, but I contend it should look to its own county first.

There is a territorial issue among the people of County Clare. While south-east Clare is the area under threat, many people throughout the county believe, from a territorial perspective, that Limerick city should take its eyes off the banner county and leave it as it is.

County Clare is unique in terms of its existing boundary, because only a small section of the county is connected by land, along the border with County Galway. The county is very much an island, bound on the east by the River Shannon, on its southern shore by the Shannon Estuary and on the west by the Atlantic Ocean up to Galway Bay. Limerick city proposes to bridge the river to gain territory in County Clare. It is not acceptable for the reasons I have outlined and I hope the Department, while giving consideration to the proposal from Limerick city, will rule in favour of the desire of the vast majority of people in the affected area and throughout County Clare.

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Mr. N. Ahern)

I understand Senator Dooley's concern in raising this important issue for Limerick city, County Limerick and Clare County Council. Under the provisions of Part V of the Local Government Act 1991 and the associated regulations a local authority may initiate a proposal for the alteration of its boundaries. A formal boundary alteration proposal by an authority must identify financial, organisational and other implications. It also involves the invitation of public submissions and consultation with the other local authorities affected by the proposal, prior to submitting a formal application to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.

The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Roche, received an application from Limerick City Council for a boundary extension in November 2005, which was made in accordance with Part V of the 1991 Act. The application affects Clare and Limerick County Council areas and, if implemented, would have significant financial and organisational implications for all of the affected authorities. Prior to making its application, Limerick City Council invited submissions from Limerick and Clare County Councils and also from the public. Each county council made a formal statement of response detailing the financial, administrative and other implications that the council wished to raise. In their statements of response, both county councils objected to Limerick City Council's proposal on numerous grounds.

The Minister is currently considering the extensive and detailed assessment of the issues engaged in by the city council in developing its application. The Minister is also considering the analysis and perspectives of each of the county councils as set out in their respective statements of response. As the matter remains under consideration it would be inappropriate for me to comment on the application. However, I am in a position to briefly outline the Minister's options.

It is open to the Minister to establish an independent boundary committee to examine the proposal and such a committee may make such recommendations as it considers necessary in the interests of effective and convenient local government. Any draft ministerial order following receipt of a report from a boundary committee would require a positive resolution by each House of the Oireachtas before coming into force. Alternatively, the Minister may regard the establishment of a boundary committee as inappropriate in the circumstances and may follow other courses of action in the interests of effective and appropriate local government.

The Minister's decision will be made with the objective of supporting the local government system in the provision of modern, effective and relevant governance as a driver for the sustainable development of the Limerick-Shannon gateway area. I assure the House that the Minister is aware of the strength of local identity and the attachment many people in the areas concerned have to their historic boundaries. This attachment is shared by many of their elected representatives and is among the issues providing context for the Minister's deliberations. I understand the Minister intends to make his decision shortly.

Mr. Dooley

I thank the Minister of State for his response and take heart from his statement that the Minister recognises the strength of local identity and the attachment many people in the area have to their historic boundaries, and that this attachment is shared by many elected representatives and will be among the issues providing the context for his decision. If, however, the decision of the boundary committee is to encroach on County Clare then, if it comes before this House and if I am fortunate enough to be a Member of this House at the time, I will not support it under any circumstances.

Members of Clare County Council have come out very strongly in favour of the retention of the boundary as it is, as has Ennis Town Council. I compliment the work of the members and officials of the local authority in putting up an effective defence against a predatory approach by what was once a friendly neighbour. I hope it will be so again when this issue is resolved, whether it be with the help of Solomon or someone else.

Mental Health Services.

Mr. Feighan

The mental health services have been neglected and underfunded in recent years. Funding dropped from 11% of the total health budget in 1997 to 6.6% in 2003, but the WHO recommends that 14% of a country's health budget should be spent on such services. The provision of mental health services should be put on a par with the provision of general health services, both hospital and community services.

Suicide is one of the severe potential consequences of mental illness and occurs with the greatest frequency among young males and older people. As chairperson of a mental health association in County Roscommon I believe we need more awareness and education on the subject. It is also necessary to get rid of the stigma of mental illness.

The document, A Vision for Change, has a development plan for the mental health services but I am concerned that plan 1 for inpatient admissions proposes one bed for every 350,000 people. Aspects of the plan are very welcome, especially the ring-fencing of proceeds from property sales for mental health. I am being a little parochial but I believe local inpatient units such as the ones in Roscommon, Castlebar, Ballinasloe and Galway should be maintained. It is very difficult to come from Arigna in north County Roscommon to Galway, and it is impossible for someone from outside Belmullet to go to Galway. This is the Hanly report in another guise and I fear that mental health is once again being used in the context of that report. We must be vigilant and this is not the right way to go about it.

Will the Minister of State indicate if community mental health teams will be put in place? Why is my county, Roscommon, to receive nothing from the fund of €18 million that has been allocated to the development of mental health services? The county needs funding to develop mental health teams. It needs a psychiatrist, a psychologist, a social worker and specialist community nurses. We are very concerned that mental health services in County Roscommon will be left out and I appeal to the Minister to revisit the matter and allocate the money for those services. How can there be a service without inpatient beds or a fully-dedicated community mental health team?

I appeal to the Minister of State to provide County Roscommon with local inpatient units. They have provided a wonderful service and will continue to do so if they are recognised and receive appropriate funding.

Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Mr. T. O’Malley)

I thank Senator Feighan for raising this matter on the Adjournment.

The recently published report of the expert group on mental health policy, A Vision for Change, outlines an exciting vision of the future for mental health services in Ireland and sets out a framework for action over the next seven to ten years. This report is the first comprehensive review of mental health policy since Planning for the Future was published in 1984 and has been accepted by the Government as the basis for the future development of mental health policy.

A wide ranging and comprehensive public consultation process was undertaken in the development of this policy which gave a clear indication of the expertise that exists among professionals and service providers with regard to mental health issues. It also made clear the views of service users on the present state and future development of mental health services. Building on the findings of the consultation process, A Vision for Change recommends that specialist expertise in mental health services should be provided by community mental health teams, CMHTs. These are expanded multidisciplinary teams of clinicians who work together to serve the needs of service users across their lifespans. CMHTs should serve defined populations and age groups and operate from community-based mental health centres in specific sectors throughout mental health catchment areas.

The report also recommends that a programme of capital and non-capital investment in mental health services, adjusted in line with inflation, be implemented in a phased way over the next seven to ten years. The proposed new workforce will comprise more than 11,000 staff throughout the service. Allowing for the assimilation of all existing posts, the expert group has estimated that a total of 1,803 new posts across the services and non-capital investment of €151 million per annum in addition to existing funding will be required. The programme of investment has already begun with the allocation of an additional €25 million to the HSE for mental health services in the Estimates for 2006. Significant capital investment will also be required to provide new and replacement facilities for the mental health services. This has been estimated by the expert group to be of the order of €796 million, much of which could be realised from the value of existing hospitals and lands.

The County Roscommon mental health services have undergone significant changes over the past two decades. The move away from institutional to community care has brought the mental health services in County Roscommon closer to the service user and the switch from hospital based to individualised care has empowered users to take a more proactive role in their care and treatment. This has been complemented by the provision of care and treatment by multidisciplinary teams in partnership with other health care professionals and the voluntary agencies.

As the Senator will be aware, mental health services in County Roscommon are provided in a 30-bed integrated acute admission unit in Roscommon General Hospital and through community based services based at Áras Naomh Caolin and Knockroe House, Castlerea. A range of care and treatment is also provided in the day hospitals, day centres and outpatient clinics located throughout the three Roscommon sectors. The acute admission unit at Roscommon General Hospital opened in 1992 in response to Government policy on mental health as outlined in Planning for the Future. I am informed that this was a major turning point for County Roscommon's mental health services. As a result, St. Patrick's Hospital, Castlerea, was closed and community-based mental health services were expanded, thus providing a large range of treatment options for service users in the community. These changes have been very much in line with the model of service provision now recommended by the expert group. The proposals in A Vision for Change will allow for further expansion in community services and specialised services for groups such as children, older people and those with particular needs. These changes will enhance the mental health services nationwide, including those in County Roscommon.

I am aware that the voluntary sector in County Roscommon play vital roles in providing support to the service users and carers, reducing reliance on inpatient services and enabling people to become empowered and proactive in their recovery. This is complemented through giving service users a say in their care and treatment. The patient advocacy service provides a valuable independent voice on behalf of the patient and this concurs with the philosophy of client centred care espoused in A Vision for Change.

The implementation of this policy will be a matter for the Health Service Executive in accordance with the provisions of the Health Act 2004. The HSE has stated that the national mental health directorate within the executive will immediately establish an implementation group to ensure that the recommendations are realised in a timely and co-ordinated manner. As Minister of State with special responsibility for mental health, I will be seeking the active support of all those who are involved in the mental health services so that together we can bring about the far reaching improvements recommended in A Vision for Change. I will shortly be appointing a group, as recommended in the report, to monitor the implementation of its recommendations.

A Vision for Change details a comprehensive model of mental health service provision for Ireland and describes a framework for building and fostering positive mental health across the entire community and providing accessible community based specialist services for people with mental illness. On that basis, the Senator can be assured that, in line with this policy, the level of mental health service provision throughout the country will be improved and enhanced in coming years.

The Seanad adjourned at 7.45 p.m. until10.30 a.m. on Thursday, 9 February 2006.