Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In the report, Shari McDaid from Mental Health Reform noted that the HSE National Service Plan 2014 indicates that certain initiatives and places will not be put in place until the back end of the year so savings can be made. As Ms McDaid rightly said, mental health does not operate according to time delays. It is a real-time scenario and people need services.

The Minister of State has heard from the best medical names in the country, including Senator John Crown and John Saunders, the chairman of the Mental Health Commission, as to what is wrong. The process evaluating this was flawed - it was wrong. It now amounts to austerity for the mental health patients of east Galway. That is what it means, yet the Government blatantly disregards it.

As for Senator Mullins, I have no sympathy for him. And for Senator Kelly, who did a runner to get out of here because he has not the balls to stay and vote one way or the other-----