Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, for coming to Clonmel to meet us. He seemed to make an effort. However, if the Minister of State, Deputy Catherine Byrne, continues to read out stuff officials write for her, we will change nothing. It is pure and utter balderdash. We do not have a single bed in Tipperary for mental health services. The Minister of State may talk about Ennis and Kilkenny but units there are overcrowded. The HSE is spending €400 million of the mental health budget every year on medical treatments for illnesses but just €10 million on psychological and counselling services while the Ministers of State in the Department and the Minister, Deputy Harris, read repots and listen to balderdash and baloney from the HSE. These are mandarins who are not accountable. CHO managers and others move on in a chain. Mr. O'Brien is going off into the sunset and leaving also. Meanwhile, unfortunate children and others with mental health issues would be in a wasteland but for volunteers, the suicide watch people in Clonmel and all of the other organisations doing such great work in this area. It is unbelievable that the Minister of State should come to the House and read out such rubbish replies and that she or another Minister of State will do so again next week. I do not mean any disrespect to the Minister of State personally but ministerial officeholders must take charge of the HSE and its budgets and demand accountability. They must listen to front-line workers and stop hiring more mandarins and pen-pushers.

Three out of every four new recruits to the HSE is a manager. It is despicable, out of control and morally, and in every other way, wrong. To deny these young adolescent girls and boys these services and have them languishing in hospitals is wrong. It is wrong that their parents and their families at home are traumatised because of this upset too. However, all we get are toilet paper replies like this. It is disgusting.

At the report launch today, the entire health committee attended. Several clinicians told us the system is so broken and rotten they cannot change it. They said there is no accountability. What are the jobs criteria for these HSE managers? They have not a clue what they are trying to manage. Above all, they have no empathy. It is devastating that we are going to put up with this and continue listening to it from the HSE. It does not care about the people. All it wants are offices. We have a hospital in Tipperary which is closed up and is a bed-free zone. That is how the HSE operates. Its managers are all about furthering their careers and to hell with the people and the services.

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