Several local health areas are still providing acute care in admission units of large psychiatric hospitals instead of general hospitals. These include: St Brendan's Dublin; St Loman's, Mullingar; St Senan's Wexford; St Bridget's, Ballinasloe; St Stephen's, Cork; and St Vincent's, Fairview.
The admission units in general or local hospitals such as the Mater, Navan and Bantry do not provide an acceptable level of privacy, space and comfort.
The Inspector of Mental Health Services expressed concern about the number of people with an intellectual disability inappropriately placed in psychiatric hospitals, such as St Senan's, Wexford, St Luke's, Clonmel, St Finan's, Killarney and St Dympna's, Carlow.
Dr Edmond O'Dea, Mental Health Commission, said there had been "little or no progress" in implementing A Vision for Change, the Government's mental health policy, last year.
Child and adolescent mental health services are struggling to see children with serious mental health problems and most services can only offer an emergency service.
Source: Mental Health Commission 2007 annual report