Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Buckley for highlighting the issue. It is very important. I take his point about forward planning. It is a strong message which we will have to bring back to the HSE. I will bring it back to the Minister, Deputy Harris.

The Government is committed to ensuring all those in need of mental health services and supports will have access to them, in particular vulnerable groups such as the homeless and those to which the Deputy referred. It is not acceptable that somebody who is homeless, poor and marginalised cannot receive a service. A broad range of support initiatives are under way or planned across mental health services to cater for that group and I believe the initiatives will help us to achieve equity of access and support for those individuals in order that they can access care at the earliest possible stage.

I accept the Deputy's point about the ACCES team receiving ten to 15 calls per week inquiring about referrals. It amounts to approximately 150 to 200 calls per year. I agree with the Deputy that such persons could be facilitated with some forward planning. Money is not the issue; rather it is a case of planning to implement services and find people to fill the posts. There is a difficulty in filling posts, including in my area of responsibility, namely, the disability sector. In recent months we have had a steady stream of occupational therapists and speech and language therapists returning from England, in particular. That will help to address the issue. I agree with the Deputy that there is a need for more forward planning in order to resolve the issues. I will bring the message back to the Minister and the HSE.

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