Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)

I join Senator Fitzgerald in asking the Leader for a debate, as a matter of urgency, on A Vision for Change and on our mental health system, which is in crisis. This is because there is no drive or leadership from the Government and increasing numbers of people are faoi bhrú, or under pressure. The cry of human despair from ordinary people is not being heeded by Government. I am asking the Leader for a debate on the independent report published last week, which Senator Fitzgerald rightly highlighted, and on A Vision for Change. People are looking for help in greater numbers every day. Just yesterday I spoke to a woman who was a carer and also the only person in a household of five who was working. That is demoralising. There is no leadership from Government in this regard. The report has long been due to be implemented, but it has now been scattered to the four winds.

Political reform was botched again in the budget. Deputy John McGuinness was right — the two Brians have made a bags of it — and he got no reward for it. When will the political class in Government realise that the number of their officials, advisers and so on is unacceptable? I will give one example on which I ask the Leader to comment in his reply. The Progressive Democrats Party, as far as I know, has gone out of existence, yet it has a press officer being paid a salary of more than €100,000. The Minister for Health and Children has a press adviser who is also being paid more than €100,000, a programme manager being paid €177,000, and a special adviser being paid €150,000. That is a total of four people working for the Minister. Why has the press officer of a party that has gone out of existence now been assigned to the Minister for Health and Children, who has a press officer already?

Does the Leader think it correct that the Government has three separate press officers? It has one for Fianna Fáil — and it needs one, God help us — one for the Progressive Democrats Party, which is now gone, and one for the Green Party, which this week has a problem with language.