Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive reply. The issue of consent is a complex one and it is important we get it right. There has been a great deal of reform in the mental health services in the past 20 years and it is important that those reforms continue. On the broader issue of the health services in general, I am concerned that there is a view being given out, including in this debate, that the 100,000 staff in the public health sector are sitting around and doing nothing all day. There were 3.2 million outpatient attendances in hospitals last year and 1.2 million patients attended accident and emergency departments. On a weekly basis, that works out at 63,000 people attending outpatient departments, 23,000 presenting at emergency departments and another 16,000 undergoing day care procedures. It is wrong that an impression should be given that the health service is doing nothing for anyone. In fact, people in this country are living longer than ever before and a comprehensive service is being provided in a range of areas. There are difficulties in certain areas that must be dealt with, including in emergency departments and mental health services, but improvements continue to be made. The false impression must not be allowed to go out that dedicated and committed staff are sitting around and doing nothing.

I travelled recently to the United Kingdom as part of a delegation to look at how health services are being delivered there. At the location we visited, the staff were very pleased that the average waiting time for securing a GP appointment had been reduced from 15 days to eight. We have not reached that situation in this country and I hope we never will. In all areas of our health service, staff work to provide care to patients in the quickest possible time. Many improvements have been made in mental health services, for example, as I have seen in my home city. Staff there are working in teams and seeking to reduce the level of hospital admissions by engaging with the community. That system is working well in the southern region and it is important that further progress is made in other areas. We must recognise the work that is being done. Mental health is a complex area, presenting difficulties both for staff and for the families who are trying to support a loved one facing issues. It is important that we continue to provide the back-up support to those families and to acknowledge the professionals who are providing that support.

I appreciate the detailed response the Minister of State has provided today. The report of the expert group contained some 165 recommendations and it is essential that we proceed to implement them in a timely manner. The report must not be put on a shelf for further consideration in five or ten years. We must set a clear agenda and clear targets and we must move ahead with meeting them. We should not focus only on the here and now when it comes to health services but also plan for the long term. That is especially the case in regard to mental health services.The one area on which we need to focus in terms of nurses and medical staff is how we retain in the service the people we train in this country so that they can continue to work here. We should also try to bring back those who have gone away. We are making progress on this area and it is important that it would continue and that the implementation of the recommendations that were published in 2015 is not delayed any further. The Department and the various interest groups are working on drafting further legislation and it is important as well that that is brought forward at an early date. I thank the Minister of State for dealing with this matter in a comprehensive way.