Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I give the Taoiseach credit for his more caring response than that of the Tánaiste who said that to raise an individual case here was facile and simplistic. The case of the 13 year old I have raised with the Taoiseach is in the possession of the Minister for Health and Children and nothing has happened. This is the case of a 13 year old depressed and anxious girl, who has been medically assessed as potentially committing self-harm. She has now been told she will need to wait for four to six weeks for a bed in Warrenstown House or St. John of Gods. The Minister for Health and Children should not hide behind the Health Service Executive and attempt to get away with this. Health is not just about economics and statistics. Politics is always about people. I will make no apology for continuing to raise individual serious cases in this House, the forum of the people.

See this speech in context