Tom Neville (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State's statement. There is already a blueprint and work done which will be extremely beneficial to the group. Based on what I highlighted from the report, timelines must be put in place for the delivery of the services in question. It is fine for us to speak about these issues and research them. I understand this needs to be done because we want to get this right when we implement it. However, specific timelines and objectives for these groups must be put in place.

I sit on the Oireachtas mental health committee. I welcome the Government setting it up because it gives mental health the priority and profile it requires. We need the timelines to hold these service providers to account. Without timelines, we cannot and it will simply be kicked down the road.

I welcome the fact the Government has done much for mental health with the 300 hours of well-being for schools, as well as the focus on PE and creative arts in schools. There has been a move towards the regulation of counsellors and psychotherapists. Suicide figures have started to decrease, which is encouraging. Obviously, we need more research into that. We must continue addressing the stigma of mental illness which is what the No Wrong Door group is trying to do by allowing people to integrate into the service and move with them, while focusing on the softer side of them, as opposed to the acute.

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