Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The reason only €20 million was provided in 2014 was because of the significant difficulties experienced in recruitment, not only in the mental health service area but across a range of areas. We were in the lucky position of being able to recruit because we were provided with the funding to do so and because we got sanction to breach the moratorium. Unfortunately, because the overall context of recruitment in terms of health was down, we were unable to spend the €35 million. It is as simple as that. I did not jump up and down about it, as it were, because I was aware of the difficulties being experienced in the recruitment phase. We are now having more traction in recruitment such that the €35 million allocation for this year will be spent.

It is important to point out that the focus for the next year will be on old age psychiatry, which sadly has been neglected, and counselling in primary care, which is where most people present. We need to focus our attention on what can be done to stop people having to present at the more acute services and that is what we will do. The counselling in primary care service, CIPC, which was hugely successful last year in terms of counselling for adults, will be developed for people under 18 years.

See this speech in context