Below follows a statement from the GSD regarding the Mental Health Board Report:

The presentation of a self-congratulatory Motion by Health Minister, Gemma Arias-Vasquez, on the back of a Mental Health Board Report that has not even been published is the height of arrogant presumption.  

Apparently, the Minister received this Report in January 2024 but has sat on it for several months. It has not yet been published and may only be laid in Parliament next week.  

Even so and ahead of publication the Government published a Motion a few days ago on Monday 13 May that asks  the Parliament to note the contents and recommendations of the Report. It is impossible for GSD MPs to “note”  anything given that we have not even seen the Report. The Motion further seeks to commend the Government for  improvements and that it will “work tirelessly” to improve the provision of mental health services. This again is  impossible without having seen the report and the tabling of such a Motion is presumptuous in the extreme. The  Motion additionally asks the Parliament to “welcome” the tabling of the Mental Health Board Annual Inspection Report  2023 by the Health Minister which, as stated, and at the date of the filing of the Motion has not yet been tabled and  is not even on the Agenda of documents to be tabled circulated to MPs.  

Leader of the Opposition, Keith Azopardi said: “The Motion is a monument to self-congratulation in circumstances  when the GSD MPs who are being asked to vote for it have not even seen a copy of the Report. Additionally, many  users of the mental health services who have endured lack of support and deficiencies in mental health services for so  many years will be surprised at the Health Minister’s approach. Are they supposed to believe everything is now fine  with mental health services after the very serious concerns that many have expressed for many years? Is this also an  attempt to airbrush the history of previous criticism with a whitewash of self-congratulation?” 

Shadow Health Minister, Joelle Ladislaus said: “We will judge the Mental Health Report when it is published. But it is  clear that the presentation of this Motion is presumptuous given that the Report has not even been published and  cannot so glibly remove the concerns many users have had in relation to this Government’s handling of Mental Health  services.”