O’Malley says he is sorry over speech faux pas
Minister Tim O’Malley made the faux pas in his address to the Progressive Democrats’ conference earlier this month. He listed St Kevin’s in Cork as one of 10 “grim, obsolete Victorian prisons” he intends to close down.
However, the Health Service Executive (HSE) confirmed the unit, in the grounds of what was formerly Our Lady’s Hospital in Shanakiel, has in fact been closed since 2002.
The last patients in St Kevin’s were transferred to a new centre called Carrig Mor on March 27, 2002.
When contacted by the Irish Examiner about the error, Minister O’Malley apologised. “If one (hospital) went through that has been closed, I’m sorry, it should not have been in there,” he said. He said St Kevin’s was one of 10 properties, formerly psychiatric institutions, under consideration for sale to raise money which would be ringfenced for mental health services. He said the target amount to be raised through the sell-off was €0.8 billion.
“That process will begin in March when proposals are brought to the board of the HSE,” he said.
Separately, a new lobby group for mental health service users is to hold its first public meeting in Cork tonight.
The Mental Health Action Group, under the umbrella of the Irish Mental Health Coalition, said there is a shortage of social workers, psychologists and occupational therapists for people with mental health problems. Spokesman Kieran Coogan said there are only two social workers in the South Lee area of Cork. That figure should be six to meet the aspirations outlined in the Government’s mental health policy document, Vision for Change, Mr Coogan said.
“All they are doing is working in acute situations. They are so caught up in crisis management that they are not in a position to help people stabilised by medication to improve further.
“The Government talks about community-based changes and moving people from long-stay institutions into the community, but no-one is helping them with housing and jobs,” Mr Coogan said.
Cork-based consultant psychiatrist Eamonn Moloney said the Irish Psychiatric Association, of which he is a member, had assessed the achievements of a Vision for Change on its first anniversary in January.
“If the progress for the first year is mirrored over the next six years, it will take a lot longer than the seven years envisaged to deliver,” he said.
A statement from the HSE said they “acknowledge the lack of investment in mental health services previously but are confident of progress within the service as this strategy (Vision for Change) is copper fastened by a commitment of additional HSE revenue funding of €21.6 million annually”.
