Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

With regard to mental health services in Limerick, if the Minister of State looks it up online, she will see that the Limerick CAMHS is open from 9.30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday. Mental health issues do not stop at 5 p.m. or on a Friday evening. Where have the HSE and Government gone wrong on this? What have they done with the funding that should be coming into CAMHS and organisations such as Jigsaw to put the right people in place? Has all the money gone towards paying Paul Reid a salary of €420,000 or giving an increase of €81,000 to the Secretary General, Robert Watt, who is now on €294,000? Is the money going into front-line services? All the money seems to be going into the top shelf of the HSE. All of the money the Government has put in has got us nowhere in fixing the problem. Where is the accountability for mental health services? Where is the money the Government needs to give to Limerick Suicide Watch or the search and rescue service in Limerick, both of which are staffed by volunteers? Instead, the Government gives out €80,000 here and €90,000 there on salaries. The money does not go to the volunteers that are actually doing the job the Government should be doing. Where is the mental health funding for people seeking places in respite centres? The Minister of State has now made three attempts to come to Dromcolliher in Limerick. I believe she is supposed to be coming this Friday. I hope it is a case of third time lucky and that I will see her in Dromcolliher on Friday. I was told she would be there.

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