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Figures obtained by Social Democrats TD Liam Quaide show that the process of transferring younger people out of inappropriate nursing home settings remains frustratingly slow. Deputy Quaide, who is the party’s spokesperson on disability, said: “Four years after the publication of the Ombudsman’s ‘Wasted Lives’ report, the HSE has confirmed to me that there are […]

Lack of workforce planning and the HSE’s failure to initiate a comprehensive recruitment drive is exacerbating the crisis in primary care services for young people, according to Social Democrats TD Liam Quaide. Deputy Quaide, who is the party’s spokesperson on mental health and disability, said: “This government continues to be in denial about the scale […]

Social Democrats TD Liam Quaide has criticised the Government’s lack of support for Gaeltacht areas in the updated National Development Plan. Deputy Quaide, who is the party’s spokesperson on the Gaeltacht, said: “The government’s updated National Development Plan includes funding for housing, energy, water and transport projects between 2026 and 2030, but fails to set […]

Last-minute government amendments and an unwillingness to accept any opposition amendments have undermined years of important work on the Mental Health Bill, according to Social Democrats Mental Health and Disability spokesperson Liam Quaide. Deputy Quaide said: “Some government amendments, introduced on deadline day for submissions at Committee Stage, have significantly altered the human rights ethos […]

The government must commit to a comprehensive recruitment drive to tackle the crisis in primary care services for young people, according to Social Democrats TD Liam Quaide. Deputy Quaide, who is the party’s spokesperson on mental health and disability, said: “Figures released to me reveal the abject state of primary care services for young people […]

The HSE’s proposal to invest €64m developing a 50-bed residential mental health service on the grounds of St. Stephen’s Hospital, Glanmire, is an attempt to move back to the dark ages of service provision, according to Social Democrats mental health spokesperson Liam Quaide. Deputy Quaide said: “It is entirely at odds with the progressive trend […]

Last-minute government amendments have resulted in a Mental Health Bill that now lacks crucial human rights safeguards in favour of a retrograde model of service provision for people with acute mental health difficulties, according to Social Democrats TD Liam Quaide. Deputy Quaide, who is the party’s spokesperson on mental health and disability, said: “Some government […]

The Labour Court decision to extend a payment for healthcare workers with debilitating Long Covid until December 2025 is a welcome one, but more must be done, according to Social Democrats TD Liam Quaide, a former clinical psychologist with Long Covid services. Deputy Quaide said: “The government must recognise Long Covid as an occupational illness […]

The costly employment of agency staff across the health system, including in mental health services, reflects a deep failure in workforce planning by successive governments, according to Social Democrats TD Liam Quaide. Deputy Quaide, who is the party’s spokesperson on mental health and disability, said: “Figures released to me by the HSE showed that the […]

Social Democrats TD Liam Quaide has accused the HSE of attempting to conceal the scale of the crisis in primary care psychology services. Deputy Quaide, who is the party’s spokesperson on mental health and disability, said: “I am deeply frustrated with the unanswered or partly answered parliamentary questions on this matter. The responses I received indicate a […]