Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will refer to the budget first. Budget 2020 saw the Government continue its commitment to mental health by increasing funding by €39 million to €1.026 billion. This represents an increase of over €315 million or 45% since 2012. Admittedly, we have a long way to go, and I am very conscious of that. I have three priorities for Tipperary. My first priority and commitment is to have Jigsaw open in Thurles before Christmas. I have given that commitment and I will follow through on it. The second commitment I gave previously, and this is where the budget Estimates are involved, is to seek €2 million in those Estimates to redo the crisis house in Tipperary which I believe is not fit for purpose. Third, under Sharing the Vision I will task the national implementation monitoring committee with completing a review of mental health bed capacity throughout the country. There are major issues in the south east, not only in Tipperary. Waterford and Wexford have the same issues relating to capacity. The first thing I want the committee to look at is bed capacity, and then we will work from there.

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