Government urged to reverse decision on Central Mental Hospital relocation
Wednesday, 30 July 2008 14:23
Irish Mental Health Coalition makes plea to Government
The Irish Mental Health Coalition (IMHC) today urged the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children to recommend that the Government reverse its decision to relocate the Central Mental Hospital from its existing site in Dundrum to Thornton Hall, Co Dublin.
The plea was made as the Irish Mental Health Coalition met with the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children at 1.30pm this afternoon. The IMHC was represented by Mr John Saunders (Chairperson) and Ms Caroline McGrath (Director). A copy of the presentation made to the Committee is attached.
Mr John Saunders, Chair of the IMHC said: "The Irish Mental Health Coalition welcomes the proposal to replace or remodel the existing Central Mental Hospital, but the location at Thornton Hall is wholly inappropriate.
"The Central Mental Hospital (CMH) is a caring health service working to support people with serious mental illness in their treatment and recovery.
Placing the CMH in a rural location beside the largest prison in the state is entirely incompatible with the rehabilitative principles of mental health services."
The IMHC representatives pointed to research showing that persons experiencing mental health difficulties already face discrimination and stigma. They argued that locating the hospital next to the prison would further stigmatise patients and contribute to the criminalisation of mental illness.
The Irish Mental Health Coalition also highlighted the practicalities difficulties of delivering effective treatment in a rural location.
"The Central Mental Hospital needs to be able to retain, restore and establish patient's social connections and functions. Access to local community facilities is a vital part of reintegrating and rehabilitating patients. It would be extremely difficult to do this in the rural location at Thornton Hall," Mr Saunders continued.
The Irish Mental Health Coalition said that a viable alternative option for the development of the Central Mental Hospital exists.
"The IMHC understands that the HSE is required to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of the present proposal and urges early publication of its report," Mr Saunders pointed out.
"Analysis conducted by Mr Jim Power, Chief Economist with Friends First earlier this year clearly showed that a new Central Mental Hospital could be developed on the existing site at Dundrum on a cost neutral basis."
NOTE TO EDITOR
The Irish Mental Health Coalition advocates for peoples' rights to the highest attainable standard of mental health and mental healthcare. The IMHC comprises a core group of five organisations:
Amnesty International
Bodywhys : The Eating Disorder Association of Ireland
GROW
Irish Advocacy Network
Schizophrenia Ireland
Research conducted by the National Disability Authority on public attitudes to disability reveals that most negative attitudes related to people with mental health difficulties.
A report, Patients Not Prisoners (published jointly with the Irish Mental Health Coalition and Schizophrenia Ireland), argues that the existing CMH Dundrum site should be redeveloped.
For further information please contact:
John Saunders, Chair, Irish Mental Health Coalition
087 9271292
Caroline McGrath, Director, Irish Mental Health Coalition
086 82567922
Justin Moran, Communications Co-ordinator, Amnesty International
085 814 8986
You may download the presentation.
IMHC Thornton Hall Presentation to Committee