Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Professor O'Connor, Dr. O'Shea, Dr. Osborne and Dr. O'Brien. I sat on the Committee on the Future of Healthcare and it is an honour to sit on this one. The witnesses are a breath of fresh air. One of our biggest issues has been honesty, accountability, responsibility and leadership. Professor O'Connor mentioned it all in her opening speech. What struck me was something that is a huge issue in any part of the health system. She said the need was not for money because we have the services. She said changes can be made through statutory instrument, that we do not need money and that the issue is how the system is actually run. GPs are the first point of contact and we have all used their services. The biggest point to get across while people are actually listening is that we need the Minister for Health and the Minister of State with responsibility for mental health and older people to listen to people like the witnesses who are straight, honest and at the forefront of what is happening. Prevention is better than cure and it can be done at a very low cost. I listened intently to the witnesses and their documents, which I have read, and submissions have probably been the best we have received in the past 12 months. This comes from all parties and none. I can feel the witnesses' hunger, belief in what they do and drive. These thing are achievable but someone has to grow up here. I liked the witnesses' honesty in that regard. I appeal to everyone here; let us grow up, go back to whoever we are dealing with and say this has to happen.

I have been a mental health advocate for 14 or 15 years but today is the first day I heard of the 8255 number. I am disgusted and angry that it is not in the public domain. I am blown away on that one.