Frank O'Rourke (Kildare North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on tonight’s motion on mental health. I also welcome the presence of the Minister of State, Deputy McEntee, in the Chamber. I thank my colleague, Deputy Browne, for the work he has done in this area and I also thank those in the Gallery.

It is hugely disappointing to see the lack of supports and resources in this area for some time. The time for talking about mental health and making promises is over. We must now deliver the service. That is what people expect of us as public representatives, namely, to deliver the service and stop talking about it. If we put half of the energy into delivering the service as we do talking about it we would have a much improved health service, in particular in the area of mental health. We will only restore people’s confidence and trust when they see the service being delivered on the ground.

The child psychology service in my area of Kildare North is exceptionally poor. There are massive gaps in the area. I have a reply from the HSE which confirms that is the case. That is an issue that must be examined as a matter of urgency. From December 2008 to 2015, for example, we lost 1,000 staff from the mental health service area. When services are put in place, supported properly and adequately resourced we see the positives that result. For example, we see the advantages in Kilcock of the psychiatric day care service. The Abbey community project in Celbridge provides services for 40 referrals, including from State agencies, although it operates on a voluntary basis with no funding. I wish to speak further with the Minister of State about that. It is not adequate for a service to operate without any funding.

We cannot have a mental health service that shuts down at 4 p.m. on Friday and does not open until 9 a.m. on Monday. We must have a 24-hour service in place and teams to deal with people if they are referred with mental health issues. We must also examine and introduce alternative treatments. We must send out the message that there is no stigma or judgment attached to mental illness. It is the same as any other illness.

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