Ulick Burke (Fine Gael)

Will the Leader request the Minister for Health and Children to attend the House to discuss the recently published strategy plan by the Mental Health Commission? The plan indicates clearly that there has been a failure to implement the Mental Health Act 2001. Up to 3,000 patients are involuntarily admitted to mental institutions annually because there has been a steady decline in resourcing the community mental health plan, which was of great advantage to many people who suffer from mental illness. Currently, however, such people are being involuntarily committed to mental institutions. The Minister should indicate urgently what he intends to do to rectify that serious situation.

I ask the Leader to request the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to attend the House to discuss the disturbing loss of 32,000 manufacturing jobs over the past two years. The Tánaiste and the Government appear to have failed to do anything to reverse the position. IBEC is concerned that this trend will continue if the Tánaiste and the Government stand idly by. The most vulnerable jobs are those in the west where many manufacturing positions have been lost. I am seeking an urgent debate on future employment prospects.