Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Friday, 9 November 2012

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform

Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion with Civic Society Representatives

10:55 am

Professor Sean Tierney:

That is a specific proposal. The Chairman is right. Our first recommendation was about implementing the strategies we already have and, obviously, the focus on suicide is on preventing the circumstances that lead to it. We have just had a recent event that everybody in the country is aware of and no amount of hospital services would have been of any use in Donegal in addressing that issue. We need to look at implementing the policies we have. Coming back to the Chairman's question earlier to the previous witnesses, this is not necessarily about spending a great deal more money; it is about reorganising, refocusing and setting priorities. Suicide and child health are examples where we need to look beyond health. This is not specifically an issue for the Minister or the Department of Health; it is an issue across policy development. That is at the core of our submission to the committee and the Minister for Finance.

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