Maire Devine (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

That response is very disappointing. There are no plans to establish the committee on a permanent basis. This is contrary to statements made by Ministers while the committee was doing its work. We kept the focus on the 80 or so children who were still admitted to acute mental hospitals and the shambolic finances of the HSE when it came to the provision of mental health services in that it did not know where the money went or how it was spent. This goes against the tide.

In the implementation of A Vision for Change I was trying to work it out. It was launched in 2006 and to be complete in 2016, but that has not happened. Some 75% of it has not been implemented. Suggesting mental health services will be safe and secure by implementing the new improved version of A Vision for Change does not give me any succour or comfort. The Members of this and the other House will have to continue the fight to have the committee re-established because the issue of mental health has never been so important for the country. It is a crying shame to take the focus off it.