Shane McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister of State for the opportunity to speak on this issue. She has covered every point on this major problem. Coming up to Christmas, it is always a hard time for people with problems.

I would like to deal specifically with one issue. I have been involved with it for a number of years following a knock on a door in Ashbourne, where I met a lady called Joan Barry, whose daughter was suffering from an eating disorder. I was able to relate to her as someone close to me had a daughter in the same position a few years before who was as close to dying as possible, but point blank refused to allow her to go into St. Patrick's Hospital or an institution where she would be force fed. In the end, he discovered a place called the Marino Therapy Centre in Dublin, where his daughter was dealt with on a one-to-one basis with no medical treatment. Her emotions were dissolved and while I cannot go into it, I can say that it worked very well. His daughter is now qualified in the medical profession.

Following that knock on the door and the encounter with Joan Barry, I got involved with her and she formed an organisation for parents of children across the country, who come every month to Dublin to talk about their situation. They have to drive their daughters and sons to places like the Marino Therapy Centre, where they can get one-to-one intervention that is so successful. Through friends of mine and friends of Joan Barry, funds were raised in order to help parents and girls. There is a great number of young people across the country tonight suffering from this, but it is hidden. They hide it from their parents and from themselves until they are extremely weak. Some of them have died and some will continue to die if we do not change our ways.

The Minister of State said we need a mental health unit in four or five regions across the country. I pay tribute to her predecessor as Minister of State, the former Deputy John Moloney. I had several meetings with him and he was very aware of the issue. Now is the time to change. We have got to stand up to the old systems and introduce the new systems. The VHI and other organisations have to be in a position to fund families whose children are in this situation. I know one family from Sligo who spent €180,000 on their daughter just to keep her alive. I know of another family in my area who have spent every last penny on their daughter, and eventually the HSE got her into a facility in Dublin. It was the first time in six years that the girl had seen the light of day and things were going right, but due to lack of funding, the HSE withdrew its services halfway through her treatment programme, and came back with a programme to send her into an institution. I am not going to say that is shameful, but we cannot be afraid to implement these changes.

I challenge the people in our hospitals who are afraid to move with the times. I challenge them openly on this. I am not a doctor, but I have seen family after family go through this. There are girls out there - and boys - in this city who are close to death, but we will not recognise new ways in which this can be treated. To ask someone to wait for six months or 12 months is a sin. Treatment must be given now. The money that is being put aside for three years must be used now. All Deputies, including those from the Technical Group, know there is not a parish in Ireland that does not have two or three people suffering from this - both boys and girls, but mostly young girls. It clicks in at 12 or 13 years of age for no known reason. Nobody can say exactly why it happens, but it must be dealt with. As the Minister of State rightly said, we need units across the country - only four or five are required - which have two or three people who are qualified to deal with young people at an early age. They might need four sessions, as the Minister said, or they might need six, or ten, or five a week - but it works, and when it is over, they can return to a normal life. That is what modern medicine can do.

I read today about the Queen's hidden cousins. I do not know if that is related to what we are discussing. I was wondering what the newspapers were talking about, but it appears the Queen had two cousins who were locked away, and we are only hearing about this now. This country, no matter what they say, has moved on so much. There is nobody who has a brain that is not challenged at some stage. Everybody's brain is challenged at some stage in their life, and sometimes one needs help or needs to talk. Even the fact that we are talking about this here tonight is good. Deputies do not know how much it means to people out there to know this debate is going on and that somebody cares.

The challenge of mental health services must be dealt with. There are too many people who are unwilling to face up to it. I am delighted to participate in this discussion. I will not say any more; I will ask somebody else to take it up. Minister after Minister has highlighted this area, but there always comes a time to make a move. I have no doubt that everybody in this House knows this is going on. We must put each issue into its own box. The area of mental health services needs funding; it must be separate from everything else. I cannot say it better than Deputy Lynch said it.

I am homing in on the issue of anorexia because, as a Deputy, one gets involved with parents who do not know where to turn. They meet at a hotel near the airport just to know how to get through the next day. There are people who get up at five o'clock in the morning, sometimes five mornings a week, to bring their families to Dublin, where we have just one or two centres, to deal with their problem. I am not condemning the HSE, because I know that in some cases it steps in and pays for half the sessions, which are private and cost €60 to €80 per session. It means a lot that the HSE will step in and pay for ten sessions. In some cases it will put up more. However, this must happen right across the board. These units must be set up. Four of them will do, including one for people in the south, so that parents know what to do. I cannot say it enough: if a parent has a problem or is worried about a daughter or son, he or she should lift up the phone. Not a week goes by without my talking to some of these girls. We did a deal that at some stage this would happen.

This happens to some girls as young as 13; it clicks in, for reasons unknown to them and their families. In some cases, families are lucky; in other cases, it goes on until the age of 19 or 20 or even older, and when this happens, a lot of harm is done. There are married women out there of 29 or 30 who have had their children but are still suffering from anorexia. However, it is something that can be dealt with without going into a hospital.

I pay tribute to our ex-Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney. In one case I was dealing with, two members of the same family were suffering from anorexia. One girl had already passed away and another sister was in the same situation. Things had gone so far when, by accident, through former Deputy Noel Grealish, I was introduced to the Minister's secretary. This girl got the funding to go to England for treatment. It was an awful lot of money - I could not believe it. We were talking about well over €30,000. The Minister made sure that girl was looked after.

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