Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their presentation. One of the first things that jumped out at me in terms of the transition and transformation chapter is that the HSE's mental health division was established in 2013. We can see, therefore, that a considerable amount of work has been done in the past four years in delivering on A Vision for Change, although it will be very challenging to progress that.

I am interested in the prevention side and, in particular, whether the HSE has provision for research into how to deal with the evolution of social media. I am very concerned about the impact this is having on young people. Where is that kind of research catered for within the HSE's budget or how does the executive conduct that type of research? I would have thought it would be crucial for the delivery of services to try to understand how to prevent difficulties in this area. I know the Healthy Ireland framework would be a big part of this.

Section 38 and section 39 agencies obviously do vital work across the country. I am trying to figure out how the HSE can ensure fair access across the country to the services that are provided. One could be lucky enough to live in an area where there is a very active agency whereas that would not be the case in another area. I am trying to establish how the HSE is going to ensure there is an evenness of services or equality of access to those services across the country, regardless of where they are located. If the HSE can provide a list of the section 38 and section 39 agencies and the funding they receive, it would be very helpful.