Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I take the opportunity to congratulate the Ministers of State, Deputies Helen McEntee and Marcella Corcoran Kennedy, on their appointment. I spoke to each of them individually and I wish them well in the very important jobs they have ahead of them. Others have referred to the work of the former Minister of State, Kathleen Lynch, and I want to echo the support for the work she did. In the previous Dáil, the former Deputy for Laois-Offaly, John Moloney, also did excellent work as Minister of State. He was particularly strong in advocating the need to implement A Vision for Change rather than just having it as a strategy. He did very good work with the Oireachtas health committee at the time, with the support of colleagues on all sides of the House. A Vision for Change, which is a 2006 strategy, now needs updating but, most importantly, it needs to be implemented.

Mention was made earlier of career guidance and the unfortunate reduction in supports for career guidance services in second level schools some years ago, which I believe was a retrograde step. We all know of the excellent work career guidance counsellors do. In many instances, the first port of call for young, school-going students who are meeting particular difficulties is the guidance counsellor. I believe it is a service that should not be reduced and, in fact, it needs extra support. In our constituencies at the time the former Minister, Ruairí Quinn, reduced the funding and the ex-quota allocation, all Deputies met with guidance counsellors who were really committed to their profession and were doing excellent work. We knew this from the pupils who had gone through the various schools, from principals and from the wider school community. It is an area that needs support and I hope the reduction in support can be reversed.

I represent two very rural counties. In the past two years, in particular, there has been huge pressure in regard to housing and, unfortunately, more people are coming to us every week who have lost or are on the verge of losing their home. We all know - in many instances, we have heard this from GPs and those in the general health service - that the pressures on housing are causing huge mental stress for people. At a time like this, we need to ensure there is access to counselling. A number of constituents spoke to me at the weekend to outline the huge delays in regard to being recommended by a GP to a counselling service and this has not yet been provided. The delay in being able to access that first assessment or counselling session is far too long and, unfortunately, in many instances, it comes too late.

I refer to the whole area of alcohol and drug abuse. Unfortunately, Cavan and Monaghan have a serious problem with addiction to heroin and other psychoactive substances. I met the Cavan-Monaghan Drug and Alcohol Service recently. It is a voluntary organisation which is given some support by the HSE but not enough. A small number of people are doing excellent work in trying to provide a service with the support of some pharmacists and GPs. The Minister of State, Deputy McEntee, will be very familiar with east Cavan and part of south Monaghan. I hope we have the opportunity to have a meeting in regard to the situation in Cavan and Monaghan because that area, in particular, is facing serious difficulties. Unfortunately, it is an area that has not had the provision of a good statutory service to deal with drug and alcohol addiction. I hope it will be possible to make some progress in providing necessary services, both in terms of personnel, such as the different clinicians that are needed, and financial support for the work of the different voluntary organisations.

What was clearly stated to me at the meeting by people who work on a voluntary basis as directors of the association is that heroin is a serious and growing problem in the region, as are new psychoactive substances, but the level of funding they receive is nowhere near commensurate with the scale of the problem. They primarily see adults but they do their best to make a part-time counsellor available for those under 18. They also cite the lack of residential homelessness support services and note that when they are trying to help a homeless person, they have to use bed and breakfasts and hotel accommodation. This is not the most useful accommodation at such a time, when other residential services would be much more beneficial, if they could be accessed.

These are the particular issues that need support. We want to ensure the voluntary groups that are doing excellent work are given the support they need through additional funding and through the appointment of professional personnel.

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