Gabrielle McFadden (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It would be remiss of me not mention Athlone in the context of the Rugby World Cup. We have the great Buccaneers stadium in Athlone which is very central and could accommodate matches, too.

I wish to speak about mental health. Over six months ago Fine Gael made an election commitment to increase mental health funding to €175 million, to build on A Vision for Change by resourcing adult and child mental health services in the community and to ensure greater access to counselling and psychological services, thereby reducing waiting lists for child and adult mental health services. I am somewhat disappointed that in County Westmeath only two of five posts of clinical psychologist in child and adult mental health services have been filled. While I do not know if it is true, I believe the funding to fill the remaining three posts has been withdrawn. Waiting times for children with serious conditions such as eating disorders and depression in some cases are over 12 months. As a parent and mindful of the ever-present worry of teenage suicide and the bullying that takes place on Facebook etc., a waiting time of more than four weeks, let alone 12 months, is not acceptable for someone with a serious and escalating condition. The young adult mental health services in County Westmeath which cater for young people in the critical 16 to 18 years age range have no clinical psychologist. I appreciate that we have a Minister of State with responsibility for mental health services who does a very god job and ask the Leader to invite her to come to the House to outline her plans for child and adult mental health services, with a particular emphasis, obviously, on County Westmeath.