St Brendan's Hospital Whistleblower Reinstated

The woman who blew the whistle on female patients moved from an open to a closed unit in St Brendan's Hospital in Grangegorman has been reinstated to her position as an advocate with the Irish Advocacy Network.

During a press conference outside Leinster House on Tuesday, Louise Bayliss said she did not regret raising the issue as she said she would not have been able to sleep at night.

Welcoming the reappointment, Fine Gael TD for Dublin, Derek Keating, said he had condemned the treatment of Louise Bayliss "from the outset" and applauded her for bringing the plight of mental health patients to people’s attention.

"Following a number of meetings with Louise, I had requested that the Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children invite Louise to address the Committee as soon as the Chairman could accommodate her to discuss the issue of advocacy in our social and health services.

“As I have stated publicly, I have written to the Ministers for Health and Mental Health seeking redress for the treatment of Louise Bayless. I very much welcome the fact that Louise has now been reinstated. I will now press for the enactment of whistleblower legislation which is needed to protect people like Louise."

(DW)