Michael Finneran (Longford-Roscommon, Fianna Fail)

I am grateful to Deputy Grealish for sharing time. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Tim O'Malley, and compliment him on the initiative he has shown since taking up office. I am pleased to have an opportunity to contribute to the debate, as I have expertise in this area having worked in the psychiatric service for almost 20 years. I have been chairman of the Roscommon Mental Health Association for the past five years. This is a voluntary organisation, which befriends people who avail of psychiatric services. We have held a number of seminars to which we invited people in public life, particularly from the media and RTE, who have suffered or continue to suffer from depression and other mental illnesses. They have helped to break the stigma and taboo attached to mental illness and suicide.

However, the issue should be examined more deeply. I have put many man hours into the mental health association together with numerous colleagues who work on a voluntary basis. Two issues need to be addressed. I am absolutely convinced that the psychiatric service is the Cinderella of the health services. Its funding comprises 7% of the total health budget. Experts believe the psychiatric budget should be between 10% and 12% of the overall budget. The fundamental issue of resources for the mental health service must be addressed. The reason I have identified it is that approximately 15 years ago, health boards rightly moved to a community-based psychiatric service. While the decision was taken, the necessary resources to implement it have not been put in place.

People suffering from a mental illness who have a brush with the law can wind up in a Garda station or in prison. Generally, the gardaí can only deal with their offences on a public order basis. Many people who engage in unsocial behaviour as a result of a psychiatric problem wind up in the courts and in prison and many suicides result.

The appointment of mental health development officers has been totally inadequate. There is one mental health officer in my area who must cover two counties, Mayo and Roscommon. The health board thought so little of the position that it refused to second a person last year to Mental Health Ireland to carry out the relevant duties. The health board insisted the officer should leave the payroll of the health board and it would make a contribution to Mental Health Ireland for that person's work.

A number of fundamental questions must be dealt with regarding mental health services. Mental health is of vital importance to the country's progress. The lack of a proper mental health service is costing hundreds of millions of euro a year. Sometimes people make the foolish distinction that mental illness can be dealt with elsewhere and they do not recognise the connection between mental health and the ordinary day-to-day lives of people. That is a major mistake.

I compliment voluntary groups such as AWARE and Mental Health Ireland. However, we should examine the issue more deeply.

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