New Ross Councillor calls for more community based responses to mental health issues

Wexford needs more community based response to mental health issues.

That's the view of New Ross Fine Gael Councillor Bridín Murphy. Councillor Murphy stated that the loss of acute facilities for mental health care is a blow to Wexford, but that it needs to be made up for with community based services. Speaking to Alan Corcoran on the Morning Mix, Cllr Murphy said: "Since St Senan's closed, they have not been replaced in Wexford. So if somebody becomes acutely unwell, right at this minute, they have to be admitted into the Department of Psychiatry in Waterford General Hospital. We have seen the budget for mental health increase, but it's only increased up to 5.8%. In Sláintecare, we did see that that was to be 10%. But also within that budget, there's an imbalance because most of it focuses on acute mental health services and not community-based responses. That's what I would like to see change."