Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the opportunity to make a brief contribution to this important debate. I would love to have spoken this morning but I sat silent, observant and dewy eyed as tribute was paid to my fellow Dubliner, the Taoiseach. I wish to be associated with what was said in that regard.

I commend Deputy Kathleen Lynch on bringing forward this motion. I do not want to pick on Deputy Shatter but sometimes it is forgotten that Fianna Fáil Members have the same concerns and cares. We may have a different way of going about our business but we are concerned about health matters on a daily basis. With the exception of this morning's business in the Dáil, I have spent most of my day dealing with health matters. The presence in the House of my colleague and Chairman of the Joint Committee on Health and Children, Deputy Moloney, reminds me that we held a session of that committee today. Deputy Moloney will acknowledge that we are concerned about various issues relating to this motion and other aspects of health.

Later today, I will take part in the Adjournment debate — I appreciate the facilitation of the Office of the Ceann Comhairle — when I wish to raise the issue of HSE funding and the HSE threat to the hospital in the home programme, which does tremendous work. The programme is based in Tallaght and looks after not only my constituency area, its greater catchment area is in the Beaumont area. I have no doubt that many of the people Deputy Lynch and all of us are thinking about in the context of the motion have been helped by that service. I will make that point during the Adjournment debate.

The presence of the Minister of State, Deputy Devins, is important as he has particular responsibility for mental health issues and disability. It is important that he hears, across the floor of the House, the various concerns that are being expressed. The Government amendment lists what is being achieved. All of us who listened to the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, earlier in the debate will understand that an effort is being made. While I will not be flippant, the phrase "a lot done, more to do" is perhaps accurate. It is important that all of us support the Minister of State, Deputy Devins, as he goes about that business, which he has taken on with much enthusiasm and energy. It is important that he understands this is what we want him to do.

I will not stand here and say everything is perfect. In my daily political work, I come across many families affected by disability and other issues listed in the Labour Party motion. I recall the particular case of an active young family man living in Tallaght who had a horrendous crash and was badly hurt. I remember the family conveying to me their absolute frustration with the system because there did not seem to be a response. There was certainly a good response in the local hospital and when he went to the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dún Laoghaire, but their issue was with regard to accessing services. This man was living a normal life when suddenly, out of the blue, there was a crash and everything stopped.

In a different way, I had a similar experience nine years ago when I had a heart attack — I am never afraid to talk about it. A person is busy, active, living a normal life and able to do anything when suddenly he or she is in a hospital bed, unable to respond in the normal way and needing the help of others. In my case, thank God, I recovered and was not disabled. People sometimes need to have life experiences, although mine was very much at the lower end of the scale in terms of the stories we have heard during these two days of debate. My heart attack was a good experience in the sense that I understood even better what people had been telling me about being struck by difficulties of this nature.

It is very important that the Government and the Minister of State understands the need for the system to work. When families are struck by this kind of sudden event, they need to know how to access services and that there is a service available to respond to them and help them through. I keep in touch with that family and know that in many such cases the effects last for a long time. Other issues also affect such families, for example, with regard to local authority schemes for converting houses and providing facilities in dwellings. Again, the response can sometimes be quite slow.

The Minister might argue, as Deputy Dooley has, that one cannot highlight just one case and believe that to be the norm. However, it is fair that those of us who have experiences in this regard, whether through family, community or our political clinics, should be able to ask for a response. The Department of Health and Children must deal with many issues — we could talk all day about HSE accountability and how it is dealing with these matters — but in the midst of all these issues that must be dealt with, the most vulnerable in our communities should always be looked after, certainly in regard to disability and mental health. We should not be ashamed to make the point that even if there are difficulties with regard to Government or if the economy is contracting somewhat, priorities should be made. I had a conversation with a member of a disability organisation some weeks ago to the effect that sometimes in the midst of trying to make a case for everything, one has to fight one's corner in a very specific way.

We should also acknowledge the Minister's point that the Government, in January 2008, established the Office for Disability and Mental Health to support her work in that area. It is very important that we understand it is now finding its way through this maze of bureaucracy. I repeat that it is important the Minister of State, Deputy Devins, understands there is a strong well of support, not only here in the House but in the community, for this work to continue and for funding to be maintained. Everything we can do for people affected by disability and mental health should be done.

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