Psychiatric services - Too many lives ruined

AS we detail today there has been a series of fatal tragedies involving people who should have been offered the shelter of effective and humane psychiatric care services.

The tragedy extends to the innocent victims, some of whom suffered appalling deaths. These events are tragedies for the families of the victims and the perpetrators too, doubly so because they need not have happened at all.

One man was stabbed 143 times by a sick man who was turned away from hospitals several times despite a record of mental instability.

Another was shot by his son as he watched a hurling game on television.

Not all of these tragedies can be avoided but we have seen far too many families and lives ruined because people did not get the medical attention they needed.