31 July 2003

Press Statement

The Irish College of Psychiatrists welcomes the first report of the Mental Health Commission - published recently. The College is deeply concerned to learn that the necessary funding will not be available to deliver on all aspects of the Commission's remit.

Dr. Kate Ganter, Chairperson of the Irish College said today, "We welcome and support the work of the Commission. When the Commission was first established we emphasised the need for additional consultant posts to conduct the extra assessments now required for patients - especially in regard to involuntary admissions to psychiatric hospitals. We also identified the need to have a budget - separate from the normal services budget - to fund the additional work outlined by the Mental Health Act. It is disappointing to now learn that there may be difficulties in securing the necessary additional funding to ensure the Commission can do its work."

The Irish College of Psychiatrists is also somewhat concerned about a comment by a member of the Commission (at the launch of the report) to the effect that funding and quality of service are not necessarily directly related. The Irish College is deeply concerned about the decreasing levels of funding for the psychiatric services as a percentage of the health budget and in comparison to other health services. Community based psychiatry was never meant to be delivered on the cheap – yet since its introduction there has a been a significant relative reduction in funding for the psychiatric services.

The Irish College again calls on the Government to prioritise the funding of our psychiatric services, which is clearly not happening. This includes the funding of all aspects of the Mental Health Act, including the Commission and the associated Inspectorate.