Mr. Michael Walsh:

I thank Deputy Buckley for his comments. I feel his pain every day of the week as do the patients and parents who I look after in south Wexford. They are screaming for a service and are at their wits' end. The Deputy asked what is it like for us to be here today. I can tell him that it has been an arduous journey. If I got as much attention in the past ten years as I did in the past week from senior management then I would have a massive service and be very happy.

Normally, out of courtesy, I would have forwarded the invitation from the committee to attend here today to my managers. They took it as their own invitation. As part of that, they tried to suggest that they were going to send somebody to accompany me here today. I believe, as a citizen of the State, that would have meant I was being impeded in some way, was not allowed to speak freely and did not have free will to speak. I came here with great trepidation today for fear of losing my job in the future but I know a lot of people who want help. I feel the only way, after the past ten years, to help them is to say something. I am grateful to the committee for affording me an opportunity to speak. I do not know how it will turn out. I hope the committee will put a good report together that will do something to improve the future of the children of south Wexford. If even one life is saved, my being here today will have been worthwhile.

I have worked in child psychiatry for many years. Such experience has informed me how best to design the buildings. As I have sat in all of the buildings, I was able to inform management how best to build the buildings and they were built when I was in another role. If that is what it takes, then I will do so. We do whatever it takes to get the job done but we want and need support. I hope I have answered the Deputy's question in some way.