Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I was not in government for the last budget. We were in Opposition and facilitated the budget under a confidence and supply agreement. Consistently under that agreement, we increased resources for mental health.

Notwithstanding that increase in resources, mental health services did not seem to be in a position to convert those resources into recruiting the necessary personnel, both in the child and adolescent centres and more widely across psychiatry. There have been ongoing personnel and staffing issues related to mental health which we intend to tackle under the programme for Government. We also seek to change the narrative about recruitment of qualified personnel to our mental health services and to give stronger supports to non-governmental organisations that are involved in mental health which provide a significant service.

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