Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I join in welcoming Dr. McDaid and Ms Mitchell to this meeting. I wish Ms Mitchell every success in her new role. Wearing my hat as Sinn Féin spokesperson on health, mental health is of huge concern to me. I am the Sinn Féin representative on the all-party group on mental health. I commend the representatives of each of the parties and Independent voices represented here for their input in this area over the past number of years. Without the help of Mental Health Reform and Lara Kelly we would not have been as proficient as we have been in drawing attention to some of the critical areas that need to be addressed.

That said, the Mental Health Reform presentation made this morning is alarming and distressing. Despite all our best efforts at highlighting the importance of properly resourcing our mental health services, in excess of 2,700 children are awaiting access to child and adolescent mental health services. While there has been a 2% decrease on the data for the last year, this is not good enough. When presented with such stark relief it is very alarming. We will have an opportunity during the second part of this meeting to address some of these points with the Minister of State with responsibility in this area, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, the Minister for Health, Deputy Varadkar and representatives of the HSE. I would encourage colleagues to reflect on some of the information shared with us by Mental Health Reform.

On homelessness, it was stated that 245 homeless people were admitted to inpatient units last year. Data for this year is not yet available. However, 245 is a significant increase on the data for 2012. This information indicates a connection that needs to be recognised and addressed and not only through mental health services. Homelessness in all of its dimensions needs to be properly addressed.

On staffing levels in the mental health services, the position that should apply under implementation of A Vision for Change is being missed when there are fewer than 9,000 people providing a service for almost 12,500 people. I know from personal experience, having met and conversed with the services in my own area, that the people involved are giving heroic service in terms of front line provision, in particular the community mental health teams. Their role in all of this must be acknowledged and commended.

Roll-out of the new counselling and primary care service across the country is unequal. There are huge gaps in access to and the availability of counselling supports in terms of mental health needs. Having highlighted some of the most salient points made by the witnesses, I would like now to put some questions to them. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, referred in his budget address to the Dáil immediately following the address by the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, to new staff recruitment and in this regard mentioned psychologists and counsellors for the mental health services area. There was no detail of this in the subsequent contribution of the Minister for Health, Deputy Varadkar.