Niall Ó Brolcháin (Green Party)

I wish to share time with Senator Boyle.

I welcome the Minister of State. I am a great fan of A Vision for Change. Change takes time and it has to happen on a planned and clear basis. The keyword is implementation and this is what we need to focus on. It is unfortunate we are experiencing a recession because recessions tend to lead to a greater need for mental health services with depression, in particular, becoming more pronounced. However, resources are also more difficult to provide. Nevertheless, we must do the best we can in this regard.

The move from the Victorian model to a community-based model will be excellent. The strategy is the way forward and implementation is the key issue. The principles underpinning it must be considered and it deals primarily with putting in place secondary care community-based teams. They comprise psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, clinical psychologists, social workers and occupational therapists while art, music and drama therapy will also be provided. The regionality of services being provided currently is a problem in that some areas have much stronger services than others. Should we consider rolling out the teams as best practice pilot models or should they be rolled out on the basis of equal provision throughout the country? The model which provides that some areas do slightly better than others is not necessarily the best way forward. What is the Minister of State's view on that?

The issue of primary health care is crucial and the Minister of State speaks a great deal about it. The idea that when somebody goes to a doctor, he or she is immediately referred to a secondary team when there is a mental health issue is unacceptable. As much as possible must be done at primary care level before moving to the secondary level. I realise that "co-location" is a dirty word but it is suggested primary health centres could be co-located with secondary health centres in some cases. That is probably a good model.

My final point relates to cures for mental health problems. There is a dependency culture in mental health treatment in that it is very much a drug based system. The principle of shying away from drugs as much as possible and not using them where it is possible to do so is a good one. We should be seeking to cure mental illness, not simply treat it at a palliative level. It is important to proceed in that way.

The moratorium on the recruitment of staff must be examined. This is an extremely important issue which could have a profound impact on our society.