Security bill for psych patient tops €2m

The bill to the taxpayer of providing round-the-clock security for one psychiatric patient at one HSE-run unit now tops €2m.

At Tuesday’s HSE West Regional Forum meeting, the costs for 2013 of providing 24-hour security to the 41-year old man at the psychiatric unit in Ennis were revealed at €408,351.

However, last year was the sixth year that the man has spent at the acute psychiatric unit and with the costs topping €1,000 per day the security costs have now pushed the total costs to more than €2m.