Eamon Scanlon (Fianna Fail)

I congratulate the Minister of State, Deputy Tim O'Malley, on his appointment and I wish him well in his tenure.

When I was growing up the world of mental health was a taboo subject. Nobody wanted to know anything about it. Over the last number of years great efforts have been made to change that attitude. As a member of the North-Western Health Board I know that the board was a pioneer in the treatment of those suffering from mental illness by encouraging patients to live in the community. There are three houses in my own town where patients live; they would otherwise be living in institutions. There is a day centre across the street from my place of business which provides care at all levels. If the patients did not attend that centre, they would not see anybody from one end of the week to the next. It is a great advance.

One of the reasons I wished to speak today was to highlight the work done by the local mental health associations which has not been mentioned. In my home town, we have had such an association for 20 years. It was involved in identifying accommodation for people who had been in hospital. The association has visited patients in institutions and prepared communities to accept people who have been in hospital. In my home town, we also have a young mental health association. I ask the Minister of State to support these associations in whatever way he can because they have done more than any other group for mental health and to improve the position of those suffering from that complaint.