Colette Kelleher (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Professor Joyce O'Connor, Dr. Brendan O'Shea, Dr. John O'Brien and Dr. Brian Osborne, who have various titles and accomplishments. It seems to me that the pyramid that Professor Joyce O'Connor presented needs to be turned on its head, which we can do in our report. We often start either here or there when what we need to do is turn it on its head. That is where most people are and where the prevention and early intervention can take place. Even graphically that is an important message for the committee.

Professor Joyce O'Connor made clear recommendations on what the committee can do. My colleague, Deputy Harty, spoke about approved clinicians. Will Professor Joyce O'Connor give more details about this proposal? The committee can explore it in greater detail because it seems to be a practical proposal. It would also be good to hear more about CAPA, the choice and partnership approach, because it seems to be practical.

Will the GP witnesses give more detail about the weighting for deprivation and rural communities? Are there models we can examine on how that weighting might be done? The poorer one is, the more stressed one is and the more likely one is to suffer poor health and poor mental ill-health. Have the witnesses any suggestions for further exploration of this area?

Senator McFadden spoke about clinical psychologist provision. I am struck by how we spend €1 billion on drugs but €10 million on counselling and primary care. That would seem to be a proportion which we need to invert. Will the witnesses point us in the direction of those who might help us to understand such an inversion? It would be better to see €10 million spent on drugs and €1 billion spent on prevention. That money is in the system but it might be spent inappropriately.