Question from Deputy Ken O'Flynn - PQ 14441-26

To ask the Minister for Health the number of beds at the Central Mental Hospital in Portrane and other National Forensic Mental Health Service (NFMHS) facilities that remain unavailable due to staffing or operational delays, and the reasons why they are not yet operational; the average waiting time for transfer and the number of individuals who have waited over 12 months in inappropriate prison settings; the impact of the January 2026 suspension of “therapeutic bail” on the waiting list and on the timely access to hospital care for minor offenders; whether she is satisfied that current staffing, resourcing, and operational arrangements are sufficient to protect the safety and wellbeing of prisoners with acute mental health needs; and the concrete timeline for opening all remaining beds and fully addressing the backlog of transfers.