Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate and the Minister's decision to accept the motion before the House without moving the Government amendment. Indeed, there is nothing in the proposal that threatens Government policy. Mental health services have long been the poor relation in our health system and have suffered more from under-investment than any other service. The annual report of the Mental Health Commission for 2014 highlights the greatest problem facing the service when it points out that of the 63 premises it inspected, only 44% had adequate staffing levels and only 30% of the premises themselves were adequate. Across the community mental health services, the situation in regard to staffing is just as serious. The continued operation of the public service recruitment embargo is putting vulnerable people's lives at risk. It is beyond time it was lifted to ensure citizens can access the services they need.

When we consider the levels of suicide and self-harm in our society, it is clear what needs to be done. We must appoint the staff needed to provide the services. The motion before us this evening calls for adequate out-of-hours emergency services, but that cannot be achieved without putting in place adequate staffing levels. There are more than 30,000 hospital admissions each year due to self-harming. Providing staff in the community to support people at risk of self-harming will ease the burden on acute hospitals. It will, moreover, save money which can, in turn, be diverted into community services. I take this opportunity to pay tribute to the people behind SpunOut.ieand Jigsaw for their work to improve young people's mental health. When we consider that we have the fourth worst mental health record for young people in Europe, it shows the importance and value of the work they do.

I also commend the child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, community teams on the work they do in assisting young people in need of help. They are inundated with calls for help, however, and must be provided with the resources necessary to meet all the demands on their time and assistance. In the HSE west area, there is one inpatient CAMHS unit at Merlin Park University Hospital in Galway, with two teams operating out of it. One of the psychologists assigned to the unit has been on sick leave since last September, with no cover provided during that period. One has to wonder about the Government's commitment to providing child and adolescent mental health treatment when this situation is allowed to continue. It is a situation that highlights how lack of staffing is impacting on treatment for our young people. If we want to see A Vision for Change implemented, we must provide the necessary investment.

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