Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank all Deputies who contributed to the debate. The Minister of State said she will not oppose the motion. That is all fine and well but what is needed is action. In response to her maiden speech as Minister of State, I said that I would work with her in opposition in a real, tangible and solution-focused way. I was talking about motions like this when I said that. It is time for her to stand up and be counted and to put the actions in place that are laid out in the motion. I am putting her on notice that I will be holding her to account in regard to this motion for the duration of her term as Minister of State.

I welcome some of the initiatives she mentioned in her contribution that may be coming on board. However, we need to see fast improvements for the 10,000 people waiting on the public psychology lists and we need to see additional capacity put into CAMHS. It is incumbent on the Minister of State to put in place a 24-7 emergency mental healthcare service in order that people can get the care they need, where and when they need it. As Deputy Quinlivan said, a crisis de-escalation team must be put in place to meet the need that exists in the State.

During the Covid crisis, many people are experiencing mental health issues for the first time. It is a really frightening place to be. The Minister of State is not opposing this motion but I ask, in particular, that she support the proposal to put in place immediate access to talk therapy for patients from GP referrals, without the medical card barrier. Deputy Cairns mentioned community service providers. They can be resourced to provide this service. It is a win-win situation. Community services will get the resources they need and people who need mental health services will get the care they need. I will call the Minister of State out every chance I get if this provision is not implemented. I really hope I will not have to do so.

There is an onus on her to place additional capacity in our private mental health hospitals. I ask that she prioritise people with eating disorders. She referred to funding of €3.9 million coming down the road. People need help here and now. Some of them are dying right in front of us. The motion outlines a roadmap for mental health supports in the here and now. I will watch intently for progress on its proposals. When Deputy McDonald said that Sinn Féin would be the most effective Opposition in the history of the State, she was not lying.

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