Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I again thank the Deputy for his focus on this matter. Any focus he puts on this area is always welcome, and we all want to work together towards achieving the best outcomes we can. A Vision for Change was a very ambitious document for its time. It was formulated in 2006 in a very different Ireland that had a strong, burgeoning economy. We were very ambitious back then, and rightly so. That is how it should be. We are 11 years into that ten-year plan, and to be at 80%, or almost 80% in CHO 1, is not the worst case scenario. Significant progress is being made on this. It is not enough, and I would be the first to agree with the Deputy on that and to share his concern, but it is a significant development towards that journey in that period. I am not being political or facetious about this, but one should consider the journey we have come through in those ten years and the crisis with which we had to contend as a nation, losing the financial means to do so many things. Then we had mass emigration, unemployment and so on so we lost much of our talent pool. To be at 80% is therefore not the worst case scenario. I am not saying that defensively; I am just putting a little perspective on our position. We are at almost 80% in CHO 1 with the CAMHS team. I would like to see improvements in other areas, including this area. It is not just about money. If it were, it would be great. In fairness, the Deputy acknowledged that in his contribution.

See this speech in context