Deputy Louise O?Reilly:

I thank the witnesses for their presentations. My first question relates to staff. Having represented staff at St. Patrick's for many years, I am familiar with its set-up, but will the witnesses tell us about the skill mix? This committee is debating a ten-year vision. What is the extent to which the skill mix is utilised? I understand that it is utilised at St. Patrick's. Is there potential to broaden that utilisation within the current staff cohort?

I would be interested to hear more of the witnesses' views on staff recruitment and retention already, not just of nurses, but of all staff. My understanding is that we are short staffed. One reason that was cited – it is not a reason that I accept – for some of the mental health budget not being spent in previous years was that there was a difficulty in recruiting staff. Do the witnesses believe that this committee has a role in providing that vision? If this is the reason for losing staff, would a detailed vision for the health service help the staff retention issues?

My last question relates to the commissioning.

I think it was Mr. Maher who said that it might be good for the committee to explore the way commissioning is handled by the NHS. I would be interested in hearing the views of witnesses on how to commission services. We all know how to commission a bed, which is relatively simple.

We know the silo nature of access to services,where addiction services are kept separate from mental health services. People with multi-morbidity need to access a range of services. In a model in which we focus on commissioning beds or commissioning services, will the witnesses give us some insight on how we can commission the type of services that will make a real and meaningful difference for people in a mental health setting?

My understanding is that St. Patrick's Mental Health Services is a not-for-profit group. It is not a private hospital in the strictest sense of the word. When we discuss private and voluntary health services, I would see St. Patrick's as being more in the voluntary sector than in the private sector. When we talk about a role for the independent sector, I am not endorsing the for-profit companies in any way. I think that should be made clear.