Jimmy Devins (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fianna Fail)

I would be delighted to respond. Obviously, we do not have enough time to go into all of the questions. On the child and adolescent services, Deputy Reilly correctly stated that there are 12 beds at present. In the past two weeks I have visited St. Vincent's in Fairview and St. Anne's in Galway and the beds in St. Anne's are ready to be opened while construction is under way in St. Vincent's in Fairview and in St. Stephen's in Cork. I can guarantee to Deputy Reilly that by the end of this year there will be 30 beds. In addition, the 20-bed brand new unit in Merlin Park in Galway has just received planning permission and the 20-unit building has gone to tender in Cork. We expect that those two 20-bed units, allowing for the normal construction delays and planning permissions etc., should be on stream by the middle to the end of 2009. I guarantee that 30 beds will be operational for child and adolescent psychiatry by the middle to the end of this year.

See this speech in context