asked the Minister for Health whether any action has been taken by his Department in view of recent media reports (details supplied) on the subject of Ireland's psychiatric hospitals to investigate the allegations of abuse of psychiatric patients by placing them in buildings unfit for human habitation; the number of patients accommodated at present in each of the psychiatric hospitals around the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Psychiatric Hospital Accommodation.
312.
No action has been taken by my Department as a direct result of the recent media reports on psychiatric hospitals to which the Deputy's question refers. My Department in conjunction with the health boards have an on-going programme of up-grading accommodation in the mental hospitals — £11 million of capital resources has been expended on these hospitals in the ten year period ended on 31 December 1979. In addition, health boards provide for the maintenance and renovation of existing buildings in their revenue budgets. The majority of our mental hospitals were built in the 19th century and consequently are difficult and expensive to maintain. A number of health boards have succeeded in adapting and renovating accommodation with a high degree of skill and dedication and therefore the services provided in these hospitals are of the highest quality. Significantly, perhaps, none of these hospitals featured in the media reports referred to by the Deputy. Nor indeed did any of the better units in the hospitals visited feature in these reports. Much remains to be done in some hospitals and I intend to pursue vigorously with the health boards concerned the problems associated with improving these units.
The number of patients in each psychiatric hospital on 31 December 1979 was as follows:
District Mental Hospitals and Psychiatric Units, etc.
|
Name of Hospital |
Patients on the Register on 31 December 1979 |
|
Eastern Health Board |
|
|
St. Brendan's (including Psychiatric Centres at St. James' Hospital. Vergemount and St. Dympna's Alcoholic Unit), St. Loman's, Ballyowen and St. Ita's, Portrane |
2,486 |
|
Newcastle |
93 |
|
North Eastern Health Board |
|
|
St. Brigid's, Ardee |
228 |
|
St. Davnet's, Monaghan |
423 |
|
South Eastern Health Board |
|
|
St. Dympna's, Carlow |
357 |
|
St. Canice's Kilkenny |
402 |
|
St. Luke's, Clonmel (including St. Michael's Psychiatric Unit) |
562 |
|
St. Otteran's, Waterford (including St. Declan's Psychiatric Unit) |
468 |
|
St. Senan's, Enniscorthy |
403 |
|
Midland Health Board |
|
|
St. Fintan's, Portlaoise |
478 |
|
St. Loman's, Mullingar |
751 |
|
North Western Health Board |
|
|
St. Conal's, Letterkenny |
529 |
|
St. Columba's, Sligo |
617 |
|
Western Health Board |
|
|
St. Brigid's, Ballinasloe (including the Psychiatric Unit at Galway Regional Hospital) |
1,122 |
|
St. Mary's, Castlebar (including St. Teresa's Psychiatric Unit at General Hospital) |
682 |
|
St. Patrick's, Castlerea |
301 |
|
Mid Western Health Board |
|
|
Our Lady's, Ennis |
649 |
|
St. Joseph's, Limerick |
745 |
|
Southern Health Board |
|
|
Our Lady's, Cork (including Psychiatric Units at St. Stephen's, Sarsfieldscourt, St. Anne's, Skibbereen and the new Cork Regional Hospital at Wilton) |
715 |
|
St. Finan's, Killarney |
670 |
|
Bloomfield, Donnybrook. Dublin |
55 |
|
Bon Sauveur, Carriglea, Dungarvan |
3 |
|
Hampstead, Highfield, Elmhurst, Dublin |
68 |
|
Kylemore Clinic, Ballybrack, Co. Dublin |
21 |
|
Lindville, Blackrock Road, Cork |
37 |
|
Palmerstown House, Co. Dublin |
6 |
|
St. Augustine's, Ratoath, Co. Meath |
57 |
|
St. John of God's, Stillorgan |
181 |
|
St. Patrick's, James's Street, Dublin, St. Edmundsbury, Lucan, Co. Dublin, |
416 |
|
St. Patrick's, Belmont Park |
78 |
|
Verville Retreat, Clontarf |
50 |
|
St. Vincent's, Fairview |
173 |