Mr. Michael Fitzgerald:

We have adequate services that people can support and I am confident we will be able to place any staff appropriately. It is important to say what we are trying to do in mental health services in general.

We are trying to develop and build community- and home-based teams and to provide interventions for people so that, in the long run, there might be a lesser need for the type of residential setting we are talking about in the future. For people who have long-term mental health requirements, we are trying to find the place where the supports they need and would get from the services from a multidisciplinary perspective would be available to them.

I acknowledge to all members that this is not an easy place to be in. It was not of our choosing. Ideally, if we had a purpose-built building people could move into, it would be great. We do not have such a centre at this time so we are in a difficult position. It is not something we set out in the morning to do. That is important to say. I acknowledge to the public representatives hearing of the concerns and issues raised that we are hearing that clearly and we know committee members are getting that from the public. We will redouble our communication process with committee members and members of the public.