Sinn Féin Dáil motion to focus on
Mental Health
“The report of the Mental Health
Commission shows that only 44% of psychiatric hospitals and mental health
facilities are compliant with staffing level regulations.
“The Report also makes clear that
since 2007, staffing in mental health services has been reduced by the
implementation of recruitment embargoes and employment moratoriums. Such
policies are endangering the delivery of confident and responsive community-based
services as envisaged in A Vision for Change, the Government’s
mental health strategy.
“It is also of huge concern that the
Commission reports that children are still being admitted to adult units. There
were 91 (22.3% of all child admissions) such admissions in 2013.
“Our motion seeks to re-focus the
Oireachtas and public opinion on Mental Health and suicide prevention and on
the need to implement A Vision for Change by ensuring
sufficient resources and firm political commitment. We are seeking all-party
support for our comprehensive motion.”
ENDS
Dáil motion:
That Dáil Éireann
Noting that
- mental health is an issue of vital concern to the nation
in general and should be of special concern to policy-makers and legislators in
particular
- mental health services must
be designed and delivered to aid the recovery of the individual
- a person-centred approach
is vital to the achievement of the best results
- the 2013 Annual Report of the Mental Health Commission,
published on 25 June 2014, has highlighted many of the key issues and
requirements for action by Government
Affirms
- its continuing commitment
to the implementation in full of A Vision for Change
- its commendation of the
work of the Mental Health Commission
- its support for the work of
the National Office for Suicide Prevention
- its appreciation of those
non-governmental organisations, national, regional and local who actively
promote positive mental health and seek to reduce the incidence of suicide and
self-harm
- its commitment to eliminate
the stigma in relation to mental illness
- that the mental health of
each citizen and of the nation as a whole is a positive resource that
contributes to our general social, cultural and economic well-being
Calls on the Government to
- ensure a consistent high
standard of care and support for all requiring access to mental health services
- provide for independent
monitoring of the roll-out and progress towards full implementation of A Vision
for Change
- commit to an annual
allocation of €35 million for the development of community mental health teams
and to make good any shortfall in any given year in the subsequent year’s
allocation
- properly resource mental
health services across the board, including the provision of appropriate and
adequate staffing and with a key focus always on recovery
- promote awareness of the
unacceptability of certain practices and continue to discourage their use e.g
the application of ECT on detained persons against their will
- end the practice of
admitting children to adult psychiatric units
- progress relevant
legislative undertakings including completing the ongoing review of the Mental
Health Act 2001 and to bring the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Bill 2013
through Committee and remaining stages
- require the Health Research
Board to again carry out a national survey of psychological well-being and
distress, last carried out in 2005-2006, and to continue to conduct such a
survey at regular two or three yearly intervals
- ensure a cross-departmental
response to the risk of suicide and self-harm, including from the Departments
of Health, Education & Skills, Children & Youth Affairs and Environment
- provide the necessary
resources to establish and sustain a 24/7 crisis support service for people
experiencing severe mental or emotional distress, to operate in conjunction
with the local Community Mental Health Teams.
- arrange for greater
co-ordination of all existing suicide prevention initiatives across all sectors
and groups working in the area
- ensure the prioritisation
of address of the mental health needs of marginalised communities
- guarantee that the new
National Strategic Framework for Suicide Prevention will place mental health
awareness among children and young people at the top of its programme
- provide an appropriate accessible alternative to
general A&E presentation to victims of self-harm.
Sinn Féin Mountmellick – Serving The Community
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