Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

Cuirim fáilte mhór roimh an rún seo agus molaim an Teachta Maureen O'Sullivan agus an grúpa teicniúil as an rún a chur os comhair na Dála. Is ceart é cúram sláinte, sláinte intinne san áireamh a déantar dearmad air go minic. Leis an rún cuimsitheach seo tá clár soiléir leagtha amach don Rialtas agus molaim dó glacadh leis an gclár sin agus é a chur i bhfeidhm.

I commend this comprehensive and progressive motion, in the name of Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan and the members of the Technical Group, to the House. It is timely, coming as it does within weeks of the budget. It could be a budget which will see mental health again relegated as the poor relation of the health care system but we hope that is not the case. There are alternatives, as we outlined to the Minister of State and her predecessors time after time, and there is a better way. The motion sets out a programme on mental health for the Government to follow. I join strongly with the earlier voices in urging the Government to adopt the motion and continue the programme as outlined.

World Mental Health Day took place on 10 October. A unique event took place here, the first in my experience as a Dáil Deputy, when the cross-party Oireachtas group on mental health launched the first ever cross-party pre-budget submission. I am a co-convenor of the group, which also includes Deputies Maureen O'Sullivan, Dara Calleary and Simon Harris and Senator Susan O'Keeffe. It was a very positive development that the group, representing all of the component parts of the political parties and Independents in the Houses of the Oireachtas and having only been set up soon after the establishment of the 31st Dáil, made its first pre-budget submission. It is a major step forward. I pay tribute to the advocacy group Mental Health Reform, which has encouraged and facilitated the establishment of the all-party group and thank Natalie Buhl for her dedicated support.

The group has made very clear that at its core it has the conviction that now more than ever, in a time of economic recession, we need to prioritise mental health. In light of this, the group made straightforward budgetary recommendations which I wish to put on the record of the House. First, in line with the programme for Government, the implementation of A Vision for Change must continue. Second, funding for mental health must be held at the budget 2011 level. The funding attached to any mental health posts lost in 2012 must be preserved and used for the recruitment of multidisciplinary community-based mental health staff. Third, the ring-fencing of €35 million annually from within the health budget to develop community mental health teams and services, as outlined in A Vision for Change, must occur in order to ensure early access to more appropriate services for adults and children and to improve comprehensive community-based mental health services which are linked to primary care.

These are very straightforward proposals and I hope the strength of the appeal behind the co-signatories to the pre-budget submission will ensure their wishes are reflected when budget 2012 is laid before the House. The cross-party group has highlighted the fact that mental health difficulties cost the Irish economy approximately 2% of GNP annually and most of the costs occur in the labour market as a result of lost employment, absenteeism, lost productivity and premature retirement. Some 25% of people on illness benefit and almost 20% of people on disability allowance have a mental health difficulty as their primary health problem.

The record of successive Governments in dealing with mental health has been far from glowing, to say the least. Much progress was made in recent years but it must be continued if the promise of A Vision for Change is to be realised. It is a good and positive development that we at least have unanimity across the House on the relevance and importance of a vision for change and it is something we can all work towards together.

However, decisions over the past year do not augur well and not only since the new Government took office. In my constituency the removal of the acute inpatient mental health care admissions unit in St. Davnet's Hospital in Monaghan was deplorable. I raised the issue in the Dáil over a year ago and strongly objected to the transfer of the admissions unit from the hospital, which arguably was and still is the better facility and location. It is certainly superior to the alternative now in use. People are now directed to the basement area of Cavan General Hospital. I visited the unit and felt discomforted descending into the basement. As I said to the predecessors of the Minister of State, it is not suitable for people with severe mental health issues.

The former Minister of State, John Moloney, to his credit admitted to me in this Chamber, sitting where the Minister of State, Deputy Lynch is now, that the basement services are clearly not adequate or proper, yet it is the location where acute inpatient mental health care is provided in Cavan and Monaghan for those who seek those services.

While I acknowledge community mental health teams continue to provide services at St. Davnet's, the question must be asked for how long. There is no comfort in what is a prime example of spin, such as the statement from the HSE which announced the closure of acute inpatient services at St. Davnet's. It was reported in local media that the campus would not close. It is a lovely place for a walk but that is not what we are looking for when we seek access to mental health services.

The Dáil adjourned at 9.01 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 16 November 2011.

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