Wexford Councillor Demands Clarity on New Mental Health Unit

A Wexford Councillor is calling for clarity over the role the new 10-bed mental health unit will have in the community.

Last week it was confirmed that a 10 bed specialist “community mental health unit” is to be included as a “ministerial priority” in the Health Capital Plan 2026. However, Fine Gael Councillor Bridín Murphy says there’s still no clear detail on whether the facility will provide acute care or act as a step-down or longer-term unit. She’s concerned patients in crisis may still have to attend the Department of Psychiatry in Waterford.

Councillor Murphy has also raised concerns about staffing, saying recruitment and retention in mental health remains a serious challenge.

Speaking on Morning Mix she says clarity is urgently needed. Councillor Murphy also says families across County Wexford are being left without support due to what’s being described as a system failure around dual diagnosis.

She explained that’s where a person is living with both addiction and underlying mental health difficulties. In many cases, they’re not treated by mental health services because substance use is seen as the primary issue  but addiction services may also deem them unsuitable due to complex psychiatric needs. Murphy says a growing number of families are caring for acutely unwell young people at home, with no clear treatment pathway available.