Tipperary mental health issues to be highlighted to Minister

The new Minister of State for Mental Health Services will be visiting Clonmel today.

Independent Deputy Mattie McGrath says he and Tipperary’s other TDs will be meeting with Junior Minister Mary Butler to discuss the urgent need for improved services here.

Deputy McGrath asked for the Minister to visit during Leaders’ Questions last week.

“We have not one single mental health long stay bed in Tipperary.”

“Vision for Change was a disaster – we lost our wonderful St Michael’s. Many, many people used it for decades. It was closed.”

“The last Minister for Mental Health acknowledged it was a mistake. He admitted and his officials now admit that we have a deficit of 25 long stay mental health beds in South Tipperary alone.”

“Kilkenny just hasn’t space for us – they have to cover the whole south east.”