Joan Freeman (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I second the motion of my colleague Senator Mullen.

I feel apologetic every time I see the Minister of State, because I know I am going to attack him. I am sorry, but he is the face of his Department so I know he will not personalise it. What does it take for the Government to listen to the people of Ireland when it comes to the mental health services? If we look back over the past 18 months to two years, we have done some positive things. I am not talking about the Department of Health; I am talking about outsiders, including Senators and Deputies who have singly done things to try to improve the mental health services. I know the Minister of State is trying very hard too.

Let us recap what has been achieved. We had our first public consultation days on mental health, which were the first in the history of the State. It was a wonderful opportunity to bring people who use the service, people who provide the service, and policymakers together to let the people of Ireland know what is happening. We then formed the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Future of Mental Health, which again was incredible as it was the first in the history of the State. It allowed us to hold the HSE accountable. That, more than anything, was the most perfect part of that committee.

The other positive development is that legislation was passed by the House, which tries to end the placing of children in adult psychiatric units. It has not gone through the Dáil but it has at least gone through the Seanad. There have been marches outside Leinster House, in Wexford, and all around the place, which shows that people are not satisfied with what is going on in our country. Organisations such as the Mental Health Commissionhave suddenly had a change of attitude insofar as they are saying it is not acceptable any more. They published reports stating that there were problems with mental health services but they did not do anything else other than mouth it; now they are complaining vocally and bringing it to the attention of the media. Mental Health Reform has written report after report about the gaps, the needs, and the limitations of our services, and yesterday, we had the announcement of the My Voice Matters report in the AV room,which is a good report, again listening to the voice of the people of Ireland.

The final positive development is that I had a formal meeting with the Taoiseach about a year ago that lasted an hour. I could not believe it. I brought two issues to his attention. One was to make the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Future of Mental Health a permanent committee and he agreed to that. Second and I hope no one finds this an underhanded, I asked him if the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, CAMHS, couldbe removed from the HSE and put under the remit and care of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. I do not get why children are lumped in with adults, especially when it comes to mental health. They need their own care, and they need to be minded because they are desperately neglected.

How has the Government responded? It formed a committee to review the A Vision for Change reportwhich was published 13 years ago. It then formed another committee to review the review of A Vision for Change.Is this the third review? It is a lovely example of kicking the can down the road.

One of the things the Minister of State has been doing, which I can see the advantage of, is updating Oireachtas Members. He has had two information days in the AV room and while they were good, interesting, and very professional, he did not tell us anything new. He is forgetting the basic things that need to be done. He should forget the new stuff, including the digital stuff. Let us examine the basic stuff, such as waiting lists, children being turned away because they are in the wrong queue, and other children being placed in adult psychiatric units.

I hope the Minister of State will be reply on another issue. A few weeks ago, a Fianna Fáil Member announced in the House that there will be a permanent committee on mental health. That was followed by the Minister of State's statement in the newspapers that there would be a permanent committee on mental health. I then formally asked him via email whether there was going to be one, because I was the chairman of that committee after all, and I think the chairman should know and be able to pass it on to the committee's members. I was told that he does not know, and that he is still investigating it. That upsets me deeply because that says that there is no need for a mental health committee because we are highlighting and putting a spotlight on too many problems.I am asking him, in his role as a Minister of State with responsibility for mental health, to make sure that a permanent committee is put in place. I do not care who is the Chairman, by the way. I have nothing to lose because the chances are that I am never going to be called back to Seanad Éireann. I am talking here on behalf of the people of Ireland.

Finally, the Government is not in good health at the moment.