Phil Prendergast (Labour)

The HSE has announced no further embargo on the number of employees who are trying to return to work, following leave of absence, but whose jobs no longer exist because of budgetary constraints. These highly qualified professionals are in limbo because, although technically they have jobs, they cannot work. The fact that most health areas are now overspent on their budgets leaves these people in the invidious position of not knowing to what they can have access in terms of getting back to work.

I also want to raise the issue of psychology services, which are now at a critical level within the health service. Many individuals with serious but treatable psychological or psychiatric disorders must remain untreated or go on waiting lists for excessively long periods. We need to have a debate on vital services that might not be measurable in discrete terms. Proper early intervention, as we all know, can have positive effects for people suffering from such conditions, which cannot always be measured in a budgetary context. In cutting front-line services one is not seeing the full picture. One is certainly doing those concerned a disservice. I would be grateful if we could have a debate on this issue.