Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I do believe in a just society. In order to arrive at a situation where that can apply, the structure of the way we deliver services and how Government and its agencies and the services of the State are run need to be changed drastically in many cases. That does not happen overnight.

Deputy Finian McGrath referred to the 240 parents, of whom 147 have serious difficulties. I invite him to send me the details. I will arrange for the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, who has responsibility for the area to meet a delegation from St. Michael's House to hear at first hand what is its problem.

I have already made the point that there are cost reductions across the board in the delivery of services in every sector. We need to arrive at a position where people have facilities to give service to those people. Deputy McGrath talks about the same level of cut across each sector. It does not work that way in reality. Some services are able to take more than others. The concern is for the people who are the object of the exercise and the delivery of the service in the first place.

I ask the Deputy to send the details to me. I do not have them available to me now. I believe in a just society and in the importance of transferring the delivery of mental health services from the sidelines to being a central part of the normal delivery of health services. It is important to ring-fence an allocation for the delivery of those mental health services. It is also important to recognise that a very active Minister of State, who is dealing with this area, has a concern and will do the very best she can within the responsibilities she has.

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