Dan Neville (Limerick, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I agree with him that language is very important in how we address the issue. For example, how does a person with a mental health condition feel when he or she is referred to as a madman, barmy, off the wall or a nutcase? All of these terms stigmatise and the same is true when it comes to suicide. To say someone had "committed" suicide can be very upsetting for some of the bereaved because it is no longer a crime or a sin, although it never was a sin under the test applied by the churches. As one does not commit either a sin or a crime, why do we still use the word "commit"?

I welcome the announcement that the €35 million promised by the Government on an annual basis to develop community mental health teams and improve services, as outlined in A Vision for Change, will be ring-fenced again next year. This may have been missed in the aftermath of the budget.

I commend the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, on her success in ensuring that this particular Government commitment was honoured in 2012. In regard to the commitment to approve the filling of 414 posts in 2012 for the purposes of implementing objectives under the €35 million funding programme, I understand that 17 posts have been filled to date and 270 offers of employment have been accepted. Those appointments are proceeding and staff are expected to commence work this month. It seems clear, however, that the full allocation of €35 million cannot have been spent because the staff were not in place in time. Will the Minister of State indicate the status of the funding which was not spent as a consequence of this delay? I accept that such delays may arise, but the question is whether these particular moneys were transferred to other areas within the mental health sector or were instead moved out to other sectors of the broader health service.

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