Geraldine Feeney (Fianna Fail)

Last week I asked the Leader if the Minister for Health and Children would come into the House to debate child psychiatry. I raise the matter again as a matter of urgency and ask that we would have a debate on this important issue. We should particularly speak about the ring-fencing of beds and the creation of dedicated units for young adolescents suffering with eating disorders. It has come to my notice over the weekend that boys as young as eight or nine are now presenting to their GPs with nowhere else to go. One of them had to resort to Great Ormonde Street Hospital in London for treatment in the last couple of months. I ask the Leader to arrange a debate on this.

I add my voice to that of Senator de Búrca in her commending the research published yesterday with regard to the effectiveness of the drug Prozac. I commend the knowledgeable professor from Hull, whom I listened to last night. I am always a supporter of research as the more money we can put into it, the better it will be for us and the generations coming after us. In this country alone there are hundreds of thousands of people on Prozac. They should not be frightened. It would be very damaging for their health if they became aware of this debate, not fully understand it and go off their medication.