The death last week of Galwayman Adam Loughnane was raised in the Dáil on Tuesday during Statements on Mental Health with Minister for Mental Health, Mary Butler.
Mr Loughnane died after leaving University Hospital Galway where he had presented in a distressed state.
His funeral took place in Galway on Tuesday and news of his passing was a cause of great sadness over the past few days, after his brother Joe posted a poignant recollection of Adam on social media last week.
Speaking in the Dáil, Galway East TD Louis O’Hara said that Mr Loughnane’s family have questions they want answered regarding protocols in place when people present to the hospital seeking mental health services.
“Adam made the decision to end his own life in the River Corrib in Galway last week and I’ve been contacted by his family in relation to this, as this has obviously had a devastating impact on them.
“Adam had a traumatic life and was registered with mental health services in Galway. He had previously made an attempt to take his own life seven years ago,” Dep O’Hara said.
“Adam’s brother Joe was informed that Adam contacted his mental health support worker from Cope Galway on the morning of his death. It was clear that he was distressed while in the company of the support worker, so the decision was made to contact the mental health services in University Hospital Galway.
“Once contact was made, Adam packed a bag and the support worker drove him to the hospital. Once he was at the hospital, he presented to A&E where a triage nurse checked him out,” added Dep O’Hara.
“Adam made it clear to the hospital staff that he wanted to end his life. The hospital decided that he needed to be checked by the mental health team, but they were otherwise occupied. Adam waited for a short period of time before leaving the hospital completely unsupervised. He then made his way to the river where he took his last breath. This was told to Adam’s brother by a doctor from the hospital who herself couldn’t understand why Adam was not monitored.”
Dep O’Hara said that there are several questions the Loughnane family would like answered.
“Why did the hospital let him leave the premises unsupervised when he had clearly expressed suicidal thoughts?
“Why was he never advised by the various services he was involved with to enter a mental health institution where he could have slowly recovered from a traumatic life?
“This is a desperately sad case and it raises serious questions about our mental health services and the protocols that our hospitals have in place to care for those with mental health issues, in particular those who present and express suicidal intentions,” he said, adding that he is asking Minister Butler to engage with the family in relation to this case and assist them in getting answers to these very important questions and work to ensure that this doesn’t happen again to someone in a similar situation.
