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

It is unforgivable that the Government has failed to invest in new development programmes for national clinical programmes for mental health for the second year running. This means there is no new funding for self-harm, suicidal ideation, eating disorders, adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD, and early intervention psychosis. Some 23,000 people presented to Irish hospitals with suicidal ideation in the past three years. Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric diagnosis. Failure to resource early intervention psychosis is a blatant disregard to the duty of care of the 1,500 patients who experience psychosis for the first time each year, and having no new funding for adult ADHD means more people could fall through the cracks. Will the Taoiseach support the Sinn Féin motion that calls immediately for an increase to the funding allocation for health this year?

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