Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is deplorable that the Government has cut funding which it had committed to provide. It had committed to ring-fence funding of €35 million for the psychiatric services. We now learn that the funding has been cut to €20 million this year. As a result of the cuts of €15 million, from the €35 million to which the Government had committed as a minimum requirement, we see what is happening in Ballinasloe. That is only an example of what will happen throughout the country.

General hospitals, community hospitals and mental health service are suffering. Mr. John Saunders, the chairman of the Mental Health Commission outlined the change from the old style institutional model of care to the community based model and this change was widely supported.

Without question, we support that on this side of the House.