North Kildare TD warns mental health services are now 'at crisis point'

A Sinn Féin TD for Kildare North has warned that mental health services are now “at crisis point.”

Deputy Réada Cronin was speaking in the Dáil this week, when 'Emergency Mental Health Services: Motion [Private Members]' came before the House.

Deputy Cronin told the Dáil that more than 50,000 people with a mental health crisis present annually at emergency departments, yet many hospital emergency departments remain ill-equipped to deal with such incidents.

According to Deputy Cronin, people experiencing chronic depression, schizophrenia, anxiety and other conditions are presenting at A&E departments.

In Naas General Hospital, in north Kildare, 1,200 people with mental health difficulties were referred to the emergency room in 2023 alone, Deputy Cronin pointed out.

She said this “staggering figure” points to the increased pressure on hospital services due to increasing numbers presenting for emergency care for mental health issues.

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“Mental health conditions do not exist in isolation. It is big-picture stuff”, Deputy Cronin said.

“The housing crisis has contributed massively to the rise in the figures. We cannot talk about mental health without mentioning our housing crisis. People without a home do not feel safe ever. They are constantly on edge and worry they might not make it through the night if sleeping outside.

“If in an unsafe homeless shelter, they fear for their safety as they try to sleep. Many such people end up in jail instead of being properly treated for a mental health crisis.”

The Sinn Féin TD told the Dáil that one of her own constituents in North Kildare was struggling with homelessness and addiction, and has been “constantly in and out of jail.”

This was not the solution for this individual, Deputy Cronin argued, saying what he needs is mental health services “and a home”, like so many other people in prison.

“We hear a lot about the need for more jail space. We need more mental health services as well”,

Deputy Cronin said.

“My constituent should be availing of services in an adequately resourced Lakeview unit beside Naas General Hospital, not behind bars.

“We desperately need to help these people instead of casting them aside. The Government needs to invest properly in our emergency departments to properly accommodate those who report with unstable mental health. We are letting people down.”