Tipperary Fight for Mental Health fear battle for psychiatric beds has stalled

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    A group campaigning for the return of psychiatric beds in Tipperary have expressed disappointment in the wake a meeting with the Minister for Mental Health.

    Tipperary Fight for Mental Health was one of a number of local groups to meet with Minister Mary Butler yesterday.

    While welcoming news that the Jigsaw service will be up and running in Thurles by the end of the year Dean McGrath says efforts to restore acute psychiatric beds in Tipp seem to have taken a backward step.


    “There wasn’t the level of engagement that there was with the previous minister. Now we’re not asking for the 49 beds or whatever (that were) in St Michael’s – we’re asking for a commitment that acute beds will be restored.”

    “I suppose we felt like we had got to a situation where when we met the minister yesterday we were merely going to continue the work that was already done. Now we’d gotten so far with Jim Daly and the HSE whereas I suppose yesterday we felt that it has at least stalled in relation to acute beds.”

    You can listen back to Dean’s full interview on Tipp Today with Alison Hyland here: