Frank Feighan (Fine Gael)

The mental health services have been neglected and underfunded in recent years. Funding dropped from 11% of the total health budget in 1997 to 6.6% in 2003, but the WHO recommends that 14% of a country's health budget should be spent on such services. The provision of mental health services should be put on a par with the provision of general health services, both hospital and community services.

Suicide is one of the severe potential consequences of mental illness and occurs with the greatest frequency among young males and older people. As chairperson of a mental health association in County Roscommon I believe we need more awareness and education on the subject. It is also necessary to get rid of the stigma of mental illness.

The document, A Vision for Change, has a development plan for the mental health services but I am concerned that plan 1 for inpatient admissions proposes one bed for every 350,000 people. Aspects of the plan are very welcome, especially the ring-fencing of proceeds from property sales for mental health. I am being a little parochial but I believe local inpatient units such as the ones in Roscommon, Castlebar, Ballinasloe and Galway should be maintained. It is very difficult to come from Arigna in north County Roscommon to Galway, and it is impossible for someone from outside Belmullet to go to Galway. This is the Hanly report in another guise and I fear that mental health is once again being used in the context of that report. We must be vigilant and this is not the right way to go about it.

Will the Minister of State indicate if community mental health teams will be put in place? Why is my county, Roscommon, to receive nothing from the fund of €18 million that has been allocated to the development of mental health services? The county needs funding to develop mental health teams. It needs a psychiatrist, a psychologist, a social worker and specialist community nurses. We are very concerned that mental health services in County Roscommon will be left out and I appeal to the Minister to revisit the matter and allocate the money for those services. How can there be a service without inpatient beds or a fully-dedicated community mental health team?

I appeal to the Minister of State to provide County Roscommon with local inpatient units. They have provided a wonderful service and will continue to do so if they are recognised and receive appropriate funding.