HSE unable to give opening date for ten additional psychiatric beds in Louth

The HSE has been unable to provide a timeframe for when ten additional psychiatric beds planned for Drogheda will become operational, prompting calls for a clear delivery timetable for the long-awaited extension. The proposed development at the Department of Psychiatry in Crosslanes remains at the pre-tender approval stage, according to the HSE, which has confirmed that further approvals are required before the project can progress. The information was provided in response to a parliamentary question from Louth Sinn Féin TD Ruairí Ó Murchú, who said patients, families and healthcare staff needed clarity on when the additional capacity would become available. Deputy Ó Murchú said the HSE's response failed to answer the central question of when the ten beds would actually be operational. While welcoming progress on the proposed extension, he said the project remained at an early stage and that a clear plan was needed to move it forward. 'Behind every discussion about psychiatric beds are people who need urgent care, families worried about a loved one, and healthcare workers who need the resources to provide appropriate treatment and support,' he said. He called on the Minister for Health and the HSE to outline the outstanding approvals, who was responsible for completing them and when decisions would be made. He also said a timetable should cover the remaining approval process, tendering, construction and eventual opening of the beds. Deputy Ó Murchú said a staffing and funding plan would also be essential to ensure the additional beds could be brought into use promptly once the extension was completed. 'People in Louth deserve accessible, properly resourced mental health services. These ten additional beds must be progressed with urgency, alongside investment in community mental health supports,' he said. He said the wider priority must be ensuring people could access the support they needed and were assessed and cared for as quickly as possible. Deputy Ó Murchú said he would continue to raise the matter with the Minister and the HSE, adding that patients and families needed a delivery plan with clear milestones and accountability.