Dr. John Hillery:

The feedback we get from trainees and reports such as the McCraith report indicates that both considerations matter. People are looking for a fair income, but what is most important for them is being able to practise what they set out in life to practise. That means having the necessary teams around them and access to treatment places such as inpatient beds - such access is becoming rarer and rarer - or day hospitals. Most importantly, our philosophy is to treat people where they live and work. To do this, we need staff. As I said at another meeting earlier this year, we are the boots on the ground part of medicine. We need recruits, be they doctors, nurses or psychologists. without whom we cannot treat people in their communities. The other risk is that without them, figures can be used to show that it is cheaper than an inpatient service. I have to keep saying everywhere I go that in running a proper community service one will not save money, but it will make for better quality outcomes for citizens of the State.

If we save money, people will suffer. Perhaps one could save money by locking people up in institutions that are badly run. To have a proper, modern, mental health service, however, which we all believe should minimise the amount of time people spend in hospital, we need staff.