Joan Freeman (Independent) | Oireachtas source

In The Kerrymanthis morning there is an article which reflects the environment and thinking of the people of the nation. The feeling regarding the HSE is one of complete and utter confusion. The HSE has promised a 40-bed mental health unit in Kerry. Believe it or not, this perfect, state-of-the-art, magnificent mental health unit has been idle for the past two years. The HSE has promised it will open during the next couple of weeks. I am asking the Leader about it, given that my questions to the Minister of State with responsibility for mental health, Deputy Helen McEntee, are not being answered. How will the unit open, given that there are no staff? The staff who are supposed to be for the unit have been deployed and have threatened to boycott the unit. How, in God's name, is the unit going to open in the next couple of weeks?

Poor Kerry. Kerry hospital also has a fabulous, state-of-the-art, four-bed acute unit. Although it has been ready to go for a long time, we have been told it will not be open until next year. Again, we are listening to nonsense from the HSE talking about staff. Although there are staff ready to go, the HSE cannot get its act together. Would the Leader formally ask the Minister of State with responsibility for mental health if we could have a specific date on which the 40-bed acute unit will open?

While the Leader is speaking to the Minister of State, could he also ask her to answer the questions I posed one month ago and three months ago? Could she give me the details of how the HSE money allocated to mental health for 2016 was spent?How is it proposed to spend the €15 million, which is €20 million short, in 2017? It is now 1 March and we still have no idea when the money will come through and how it will be spent. I ask the Leader for answers to those questions. If he cannot give them, I ask him to invite the Minister of State, Deputy McEntee, to the House to answer the questions.