Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his reply and for the reassurances given in relation to mental health services in County Roscommon. We well remember the external report into the Roscommon mental health services in September 2017, and those services were rightly condemned right across this House and across this nation. Indeed, there is a report out today showing the concerns young people have about the importance of mental health services going forward. While the Minister has confirmed that those three people are leaving the services in Roscommon, it is crucial that those positions are filled as quickly as possible. We cannot have any gap, and while I have total respect for locums, we need people in permanent positions. As the Minister can imagine, people build up a rapport with their psychologist, nurse, or psychiatrist, and if that is broken it can cause a lot of difficulty for the individuals concerned. I know these cases personally, and some of those people are living with regret. Again, I would appeal to the Minister because it is so important that we get those positions filled as permanent roles as quickly as possible.

See this speech in context