Joan Freeman (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I do not know if Members have noticed the headlines over three days relating to the children of our country. I would be interested to know what the visitors to the House think of how this nation treats its children. The first headline stated that a 16 year old child sat overnight in an accident and emergency department waiting to see a consultant psychiatrist. She was suicidal. No psychiatrist turned up so she sat there all night. The second headline stated that ten beds in Linn Dara in Dublin will be closed next month. There are only 22 beds for children who are suicidal or who have other mental health issues and ten of them will now be closed. The third headline related to a hospital in the west, where a suicidal teenager was refused to be seen by the hospital. However, we hear from the office of the Minister of State with responsibility for mental health that everything is rosy in the garden. I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for Health, Deputy Simon Harris, to the House to answer the following three questions. How was the budget money spent last year? How does the Department intend to spend the €15 million this year? With regard to the third question, I am continually given the reply that the problem with the mental health services is lack of personnel. What does the Department plan to do in 2017? There is a 50% shortage of psychiatric nurses, doctors and consultants. What is the plan to recruit these people? The Leader should invite the Minister, Deputy Harris, to the House to answer those questions.