Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)

I put it to the Minister of State that the percentage of the health budget dedicated to mental health services has gone down to 5.4%, which is an all-time low. Does he intend to increase the amount of money spent in this area, in the context of commitments in A Vision for Change?

Has a clinical lead been appointed for mental health? We received a list of clinical leads in all the different specialties and the only lead that had not yet been appointed was that of mental health. That may since have been rectified, but I would like clarity on it.

The original plan, when times were good in the building industry, was to sell off properties in order to raise capital funds for the provision of mental health facilities. Is the Minister of State satisfied that funding will be available for the various projects he outlined in his reply and for others that are needed in order to remove people from these Dickensian conditions?

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