Dr. Michael Drumm:

I am very happy to answer that question. We have a colleague in another room nearby articulating that at the education committee meeting. There is a need for mental health resources, and not just psychology, across the entire country. It is difficult to recruit and it is very hard to get resources and posts. We need more of them.

In the past there was predominantly a medical model for mental health but that evolved into a medical and psychological and then a social model. That was considered a triangle, with the medical element at the top, and over time it became a flatter line, with medical at one part of the line, the psychological element at another and the social element at another part. In fairness, it is now an upside down triangle, with the medical and psychology on one line and the social element at the top of the triangle. It may even be a line with medical at the bottom, psychology is in the middle and the social element is at the top.

On the question of mental health and effective intervention, the Psychological Society of Ireland believes that social and psychological interventions must be provided first. It is what the World Health Organization and the NICE guidelines for excellence recommend. This must be done as a first line of action. There must be parity across the elements for the process to work.

The south Kerry look-back review was terrible and really concerning. We all read that with shock and disappointment but we were not surprised. The problem is likely to be much wider and greater than what has happened in south Kerry. Even the helpline phone calls came from well outside south Kerry in that regard.