Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have raised this issue many times with the Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, and with others here. Staffing is the problem. It is a problem for the service users but also a huge problem for the people working in the service. I have come across people in a stressed situation on numerous occasions. I was recently talking to someone working in the administration side of CAMHS. She is nearly in need of mental health services herself at this stage. She feels terrible talking to parents and to people and making up excuses as to why there is not a service for them. This person is now looking for work elsewhere. The pay is fine, it suits her and she is happy to be in the employment she is in. However, she is continually stressed at finding herself in the position the system has put her in. She is becoming a block to people getting the service. When the phone rings, she is the person who has to try to deal people who are in a terrible state because their child is suicidal, self-harming or is in a difficult situation. They are trying to get an appointment with a psychologist that in many cases does not exist or are they trying to get a review of medication that was done six or eight months ago and they cannot get an appointment to get that review to happen.

I refer to the mental health service in all its aspects. It is the same in the adult health mental service. A mental health nurse in Sligo tells me that the position is the same there. They are understaffed and conscious that their service is not up to scratch. These people are dedicated to what they do. They feel they are letting down the public. Then they look around and recognise that the reason for that is that there is not enough of them. It is as simple as that. Additional staff is the one thing that would make the biggest difference to the mental health services. The Minister of State has said that more money has been put in and there has been an increase here and there. I acknowledge that. Those increases have come in the aftermath of such a terrible disaster over the last ten to 15 years. The service was gutted. When there is a crisis in government or in the economy, the first part of the service to be hit is the community service and the services that are at their weakest. Mental health fits into that category nicely. Bringing parity to this is certainly required. What we really have to do, though, is recognise that mental health services are a priority. It has to be made a priority not just of the Department of Health but of the Government.

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