Brian Hayes (Fine Gael)

In recent years the Leader of the House has organised a number of well-focused debates on mental health. The Minister of State with responsibility for that area, Deputy Tim O'Malley, has addressed this House on the subject on a number of occasions. Following last night's shocking and disturbing "Prime Time Investigates" programme, which highlights the level of child and adolescent mental health problems within the country, I ask the Leader to persuade the Minister of State, Deputy Tim O'Malley, to return to this House before Christmas, if possible, to deal with a number of those issues. It is accepted across the political divide that mental health is the Cinderella of the Irish health service. It is astonishing the type of problems we face now in terms of child and adolescent care. Allegations were made last night by the programme that in excess of 3,000 children under 16 are waiting to be diagnosed, one in five is suffering from a serious psychological disorder and one in eight has a behavioural problem. It was also claimed there have been no new psychologists employed within the country in recent years.

The worst possible fact to emerge from the programme was the outrageous allegation by the Minister of State, who claimed, "Some people like to have long waiting lists as it makes them look powerful." It is time for the Minister of State, Deputy Tim O'Malley, to either put up or shut up. Can he substantiate the allegation he made on that programme, which he continued to make on "Morning Ireland" today? It is an allegation which slurs a whole group of professionals who are doing their best to stem the tide in this area. I ask the Leader, who has been very proactive as regards organising debates in this area, to once again invite the Minister of State to the House to ask him to substantiate that allegation and to stop blaming others for his deficiencies and those of his Government. He made the claim this morning that he is in the office only four years. If he cannot deal with it, it is time for him to head off.