Madam, – While the latest findings of the Mental Health Commission into our psychiatric hospitals should be deplored by all, the commitment by Minister John Maloney that all these hospitals will be closed in the next three years should be welcomed.
At the same time, it is surely unacceptable that these people should have to live in these conditions a day longer. It should also be noted that the situation in St Ita’s hospital in Portrane is completely unacceptable.
On a more positive note, real progress is being made in St Joseph’s Service for the Intellectually Disabled in St Ita’s, with Knockamann, a new 60-bed residential development, to be opened soon.
This will be a great move forward for these residents who have lived for so many years in inappropriate accommodation.
While there are other very serious issues, most notably the still unexplained inability to appoint a senior clinical psychologist to the service for the 170 residents, some progress is being made. – Yours, etc,