Carlow man retiring from PNA says he would have liked to see more change in mental health

The outgoing general secretary of the Psychiatric Nurses Association says it’s hugely frustrating that he hasn’t seen the change he’d like to have during his time at the helm.

The second day of the union’s annual conference will come to a close this evening in Tullow.

Carlow-native Des Kavanagh says while they did manage to achieve some progress, like the closure of the big mental hospitals, there are still huge failures when it comes to children and teenagers.

The recommended number of beds for children suffering with mental health issues is 100 but at the moment there are just 63 available.

Speaking to KCLR News, Des said he feels Ireland should be at the forefront of mental health care but that isn’t going to happen any time soon.