Emergency Mental Health Services: Motion [Private Members]
Dail Éireann — 2026-01-27
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Marie Sherlock (LAB), Dublin Central

I thank Sinn Féin for this important and very timely motion on emergency mental health services. It is very timely because we are all acutely aware of the sheer level of demand that is there for mental health services and we know all too well of the lapses in timely care and the devastating consequences when there are those lapses in care. Far too many are being failed by the lack of 24-7 care and of appropriate space within our hospitals. It is unacceptable that assessments are taking place in inappropriate emergency department, ED, spaces that are not specifically designed for those with mental health issues. Broken bones, heart attacks and strokes are well set up within the ED. Yet mental health, which can be as serious and has the potential for fatal consequences, is very much the Cinderella of our health service, particularly within our EDs.
We know there are 51,000 presentations to acute mental health services every year and the Mental Health Commission report on acute mental health and hospital EDs painted a very stark picture of an inconsistent service with inadequate assessment spaces. That, in many EDs, patients are cleared for medical issues before being assessed psychiatrically is simply unacceptable. That practice has to end. We have asked the Minister of State these questions before. I know there are efforts being made. It is not happening in every ED but there are certainly EDs where it is happening. We know the lack of 24-hour mental health emergency care is having an impact. There was an announcement this year and we welcome that announcement but it is only 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. and that is not 24-7. The number of presentations after 2 a.m. may be very few but the reality is that if somebody at three or four o'clock in the morning is presenting with suicidal thoughts or whatever, that service is not there. The reality is that back in 2016, the Government promised to roll out 24-7 pathways and a decade on, we still do not have them. They are going to be introduced in a very limited way to 2 a.m. but, of course, it is only for the level 4 hospitals.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-01-27/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-14T01:01:01+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-01-27