Seanad debates

Thursday, 2 March 2017

10:30 am

Photo of Jerry ButtimerJerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the 15 Senators who contributed to the Order of Business.

Senator Ardagh mentioned the help-to-buy grant. The figures available last week show that 2,161 applications have been made and 307 have been approved to proceed to finality. As the Senator quite rightly said, the scheme is about assisting first-time buyers to put together a deposit and encouraging the construction of new homes. The Minister is committed to commissioning an independent review and impact assessment of the scheme with the budget of 2018. The Senator made that the point that it should be easier for people to access the scheme. I am happy to talk to her about it and then to converse with the Minister.

Senator Freeman raised the issue of mental health. I am unfamiliar with the case she mentioned. I understand that 17 year olds go to child and adolescent mental health service, CAMHS, and persons over the age of 18 go to the adult psychiatry services. The Minister of State responsible for mental health services is committed to improving access to mental health services. She has received the highest budget ever for mental health services. We must ensure people can access the available services. It is important to highlight that the Department and the HSE, through the existing liaison psychiatric service for hospitals, provides psychiatric consultant-led cover in hospital and emergency departments for both out-of-hours and weekends, and there is a national clinical programme for the assessment and management of self-harm. These have all been initiated and are in place. I am sorry that Senator Freeman is not here. If she wants to give me the details of the case, I am happy to talk to the Minister about the matter.

It is important to put on record that an awful lot of work is being done in our health system around mental health. For the impression to be created that there is not and that nothing is being done is a bit unfair to the people who work in the system. A great deal of work is being done. For example, an additional €2 million was made available in 2016 to address the specific mental health needs of homeless persons in Dublin.

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