Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)

I call on our good Leader to heed the cross-party call for a serious move to be taken in regard to mental health care. I have not spoken publicly on this issue previously. The pressures experienced today not only in our institutions but in society following the fallout from the banking sector, credit concerns and threats of home repossessions put all us at the risk of suffering mental ill health. We need to call the date in this respect and the Minister might give due honour to this House and announce that date here as Senator Fitzgerald proposed.