Members of Clonmel Borough will be writing to the Minister for Health asking for a reinstatement of psychiatric beds in Clonmel.
Councillor Pat English called for a return of acute psychiatric inpatient beds to Tipperary University Hospital.
He said that patients from South Tipperary have to go to Kilkenny, while those in the North of the county go to Ennis.
Councillor English told Tipp FM that it’s very difficult for patients to be in psychiatric care so far from family and loved ones.
“It’s a total disgrace in my mind, speaking for people from South Tipperary, they have to go to Kilkenny, it’s overcrowded and the problem there is that people are, from speaking to patients that were there, they’re being left out earlier than they should be and they’re not well enough to go back into family life.
“It’s upsetting families and upsetting patients themselves – so we need dedicated beds here.”
He added that the former Minister Daly made a commitment to bring these beds back to Clonmel, but Minister Mary Butler has not upheld this.
“We need the political will to put the beds back where they need to be.”
Mayor of Clonmel, Michael Murphy supported the motion, saying that Kilkenny is not suitable and it’s important for inpatients in psychiatric care to have family support.
At the meeting, Councillor Siobhan Ambrose highlighted that Jigsaw would be coming on board and that there are ten crisis beds under construction, but Councillor English said that this is not the same as inpatient psychiatric beds.
