When I gave notice that I was raising this matter on the adjournment I did so because I felt that the Labour Court would by now have reached some conclusion. I understand that the Labour Court is still in session and I do not wish to say anything that would exacerbate a very delicate situation. However, I have been approached by relatives of patients and I feel that, as a public representative, it is my duty and the duty of this House to express our grave concern and to request both bodies to find a solution at the earliest possible hour.
During the last seven or eight hours I and my fellow Deputies have been in contact with different mental hospitals throughout the State. The reports which we have been getting are constant and consistent inasmuch as they indicate that the good work of the psychiatric nurses, in relation to the improvement of patients, could be lost if a reasonable solution is not found at the earliest possible date. I am told that the patients who had the privilege of moving to tuck shops under reasonable escort are now confined. I am told that the patients who were undergoing occupational therapy are also confined. These people are not used to confinement and they are confused and their condition is deteriorating. I have medical opinion to the effect that unless a solution is found soon many years of good work will be lost.
It is with this background that I came into the House to appeal to both sides to exercise their good offices to arrive at a solution which will have this strike finished at the earliest possible hour or minute. Having said that, I feel that the Department of Health should recognise that the psychiatric nurses perform a duty that can be best described as a dedication or a vocation. I do not think there is any other group of people in the country who perform duties as dedicatedly as the psychiatric nurses. I believe these men and women perform quite a noble job. I am, personally, of the opinion that their claim is a reasonable one and without getting into the pros and cons of the Labour Court, and being deeply conscious of the part the Labour Court plays in the fabric of our society it would be extremely dangerous of me at this point of time to say anything that might weaken any one particular case or strengthen the other, nevertheless, on balance, I feel I am justified in saying that this strike never should have happened. It should have been attended to long ago. I am not concerned, nor do I wish to involve myself, in the arguments or the claims relating to monetary or other conditions of employment except to say that I cannot help thinking that the strike is now deadlocked on the question of promotion on seniority. I want to pose this question to the Minister. If promotion on seniority is wrong how many people over the number of years that we have had mental hospitals in operation have been bypassed? In what way has it failed?
How often has someone been selected on promise rather than on performance? I do not want to come down on any particular side but I feel justified in asking is it worthwhile to have a strike of such a national character and of such a serious nature on such an issue? I want to say that if anything can be done by the Minister to influence the powers-that-be or, indeed, if there are union representatives who can be influenced they should sit down and seriously consider a compromise on the question of promotion by seniority. My opinion is that, if I had the power to promote any person, that promotion would be on performance taking seniority into consideration. This is the crux of the whole matter. With that background, I wish to say that it has come to my attention that 500 patients in St. Brendan's Hospital today have been looked after by 14 nurses, some of whom could not find relief and stayed on until today when they were relieved. Some of them were on duty for 24 hours.
My information is that since the strike the nurses have been providing voluntary service. They have provided a skeleton service voluntarily and without pay. I want to say that all due credit is due to the nurses. They have recognised their duties to the patients and have acted in a most humane manner. Patients are not used to being neglected. I am told that in my own county there are no laundry facilities. But for the fact that the nurses and domestic staff took the precaution of having extra laundry provided before the strike the position would be chaotic at the moment. This position can only last a couple of days. The toilet facilities leave much to be desired. I am told that beds are not made in the manner in which they should be made. The geriatric patients are receiving all reasonable attention which the nurses can give them. It is very difficult for me to be critical of the Department of Health because if I do so I am then taking sides and I could be creating more difficulties than I am trying to solve. I know the Minister, Deputy Seán Flanagan, who is acting for the Minister for Health. reasonably well. I respected him as Minister for Health and I still respect him acting in that capacity tonight. I have every confidence that this appeal of mine will not go unheard when I ask him to take every measure possible to ensure that people will act reasonably.
If, in my opinion, the strike can be called off on this one point of promotion by seniority then I think the Minister will agree with me that is too frivolous a point on which to allow many of our people—who are the weakest section of our society and who do not even know what the strike is about—to bear the hardships involved. We, as human beings, should do our best to improve the position.
If this strike is not finished by the time the Dáil meets again, I will ask the Minister for Health to intercede. I should like to put on record that I would like an all-party deputation to go to St. Brendan's Hospital, which is the largest mental hospital in the country, tomorrow morning. Possibly we could meet here at 11 a.m. and go to St. Brendan's to see for ourselves what is happening. We must take an active interest so that we may solve the problem with the least possible delay.
