Tá a fhios agam. Níor mhaith liom cur isteach ar an díospóireacht idir an Taoiseach agus ceannaire Fhianna Fáil. Ba mhaith liom ceist a chur ar an Taoiseach faoi féinmharú. Last weekend a suicidal man was turned away from the acute mental hospital unit in Roscommon. According to the Psychiatric Nurses Association, PNA, that unit does not have the required level of staff to deal with patients. This crisis has been exacerbated by the Government's cuts agenda, specifically the closure of St. Luke's ward in Ballinasloe. We have talked about this before. As many as 1,000 citizens are reported to have taken their own lives - that is three people every day throughout this island. That figure does not deal with self-harm or with those whose deaths are not reported as suicides. In spite of this suicide tsunami, suicide prevention and mental health services are seriously under-resourced.

Tá sé an-soiléir ó na figiúirí atá foilsithe gurb é féinmharú, fadhb mhór na linne seo. Cuireann an easpa acmhainní leis an bhfulaingt. Yesterday, An Teachta Ó Snodaigh raised the case of a young girl who spent four days in an accident and emergency department in Cork because there is a shortage of beds in the child and adolescent mental health services unit. She was eventually transferred to the adult unit. Surely it is not acceptable that children should be admitted to adult mental health units, yet 106 children have been thus admitted. A quarter of all children who presented with mental health issues - 106 children - were admitted to adult mental health units last year. Does the Taoiseach accept this is a crisis? Has he heard what Mr. Paul Gilligan, the clinical psychologist and CEO at St. Patrick's University Hospital, stated? He said the State was failing these young people.

Does the Taoiseach accept that our mental health services are seriously under-resourced and will he ensure that the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, intervenes immediately to tackle the crisis in Roscommon? Does he agree that a wider response across the island is required?

I assure Deputy Adams that the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, is closely involved in this. She met the two senior officials from the Department and the HSE in regard to the situation that arose in Roscommon. I understand that HSE west has adequate nursing staff. This has been confirmed by senior personnel. However, they are inequitably distributed throughout the region, which is why the issue has to be addressed by redeployment. This is why the Minister of State was involved in the issue before it was ever raised in this House. I understand from the HSE that the Roscommon acute psychiatric unit has experienced a high level of sick leave among staff over the past number of weeks and, therefore, to maintain a safe environment for patients and staff, which is very important, the HSE is operating acute services across Galway and Roscommon. I heard the comments from one of the co-ordinators of the psychiatric services this morning.

The HSE reports that a robust clinical plan was in place last weekend and it remains in place for the management of acute admissions across the region. The Deputy will be aware that Galway and Roscommon mental health services are managed as a single service across the two counties. There are three acute units in the area, in Roscommon, Ballinasloe and University College Hospital, Galway. If any one of these acute units reaches its maximum operational capacity because of the number of patients with illnesses, patients will receive treatment in one of the neighbouring units. That is normal practice across mental health units in Ireland. It is what should happen and does happen. I understand that no patient is turned away, as is being alleged. Any person who presents to the acute unit in Roscommon is seen by a psychiatrist who makes a clinical decision on treatment based on individual needs. I am sure that matter was discussed in detail with the Minister of State, who is more than capable of providing a detailed response.

In regard to the Deputy's question about child and adolescent mental health services, a child should only be admitted as an inpatient to a psychiatric facility as a last resort and should in so far as possible receive the necessary treatment in the community. We are speaking about major structural change in the way mental health services are delivered. For many years, the entire area of mental health services was hived off as the Cinderella of the health service. This Government has made it a central part of the delivery of normal health services. This is why the Minister of State is focused on dealing with the adjustments that have to be made around the country.

Where staff retired last year as part of the voluntary retirement scheme, it resulted in a reduction in psychiatric nursing capacity in many parts of the country but the replacement is not happening in strictly the same way because the institutions are moving into the community and services will be provided in communities by qualified personnel. The Minister of State met with the HSE and the Department of Health about the issue in Roscommon just last night.

I am pleased that the Minister of State has intervened. We will watch that space. It is reported that a man was turned away and the fact is that a child was put into an adult mental health unit. The figures set out in the report of the Mental Health Commission indicate that 160 of the 2,056 young people waiting for treatment for mental health issues had been waiting between nine and 12 months. One quarter of those who were admitted for treatment were admitted to adult mental health units. Surely it is unacceptable to treat a child in an adult mental health unit.

In regard to suicide prevention, every three days a citizen takes his or her own life - this is only the number reported. A Vision for Change was launched ten years ago to deliver on a mental health strategy but it has not yet been implemented. I have asked on numerous occasions for an all-island approach to this issue. We should put together an authority that would be similar to the Road Safety Authority to deal with it. Although we are currently discussing a particular problem for young people, the issue does not only affect young people. This State ranks fourth highest in suicide rates among those aged between 15 years and 24 years. I attended the funeral in west Belfast of Fr. Matt Wallace, a Wexford man in his late 60s. He was a wonderful and decent man who worked on behalf of the people of west Belfast for decades. He took his own life. I pay tribute to him. It was an awful tragedy for his parishioners in west Belfast and his fellow priests.

This is an issue that arises every day. It is a crisis that requires a proportionate national response. Irrespective of reforms that the Government is introducing, it is a fact that we do not properly fund mental health services. I ask the Government to respond in a proportionate way to the crisis that has arisen for communities and families. The Members of this Dáil know of a friend and fellow Deputy who took his own life. This issue touches everybody and we need to respond to it. We have not thus far developed a response, particularly in regard to mental health issues affecting young people. It is not acceptable to treat young people in adult mental health units.

We need a national response and we are getting a national response. The Government recognises this is a problem that from its beginning and through to its tragic end in some cases affects communities, households and families all over the country, for a variety of reasons. That is why a Minister of State was appointed, with ring-fenced moneys, to do something about it. It is why the national response is A Vision for Change. It is why the taxpayer funds the national response, which includes an additional €70 million in expenditure for 2012 and 2013.

In regard to inpatient child and adolescent services, 39 child and adolescent psychiatric inpatient beds were available nationally at the end of April 2013, comprising 12 in Dublin, 12 in Cork and 15 in Galway. A further eight beds will be commissioned in Cork, while five more beds will be open in Galway by the end of the year.

The second phase of the child and adolescent unit at St. Vincent's Hospital, Fairview, will increase capacity from 12 to 18 beds in Dublin by the end of 2013. The increase in bed capacity is reflected in a 57% decrease in admissions of children to adult units, from 247 in 2008 to 106 in 2012. I accept that a child should only be admitted to an adult psychiatric unit as a last resource. A Vision for Change recommended the provision of 80 child and adolescent psychiatric inpatient beds. There are currently 39 nationally and the changes that are now taking place will bring that figure to 76 by the end of next year. It is envisaged that the provision of improved community based services, coupled with that increase in bed capacity, will put an end to the practice of placing children and adolescents in adult psychiatric facilities. The additional funding of €70 million between 2012 and 2013 is primarily being used to strengthen community mental health teams in adult and children mental health services.

The Linn Dara child and adolescent mental health facility at Cherry Orchard in Dublin opened recently and a number of child and adolescent community mental health teams have moved into the new premises. It is expected that the day hospital will be operational by the end of this year and it is also proposed to construct a 22-bed inpatient facility on the Cherry Orchard site. The new facility is expected to be completed by the end of this year or early next year. A ten-bed child and adolescent forensic mental health unit will also be provided as part of the proposed new Central Mental Hospital campus which the Government approved some time ago.

On 4 September 2012, the HSE management team approved new access protocols for 16 and 17 year olds to mental health services, which were to come into effect from 1 January 2013. As a result, with effect from the start of this year, in all new cases involving children up to their 17th birthday who require mental health assessment and treatment, the child is seen by the child and adolescent mental health services in areas where current limits are 16 years of age. With effect from 1 January 2014, all children up to their 18th birthday who require mental health assessment and treatment will be seen by the child and adolescent mental health services.

What do these developments mean? They mean the Government has recognised the problem; is implementing the national document, A Vision for Change; has increased expenditure by €70 million over two years; has ring-fenced money specifically for this purpose; and has appointed a Minister of State who is well capable of delivering the structural changes that are important for the country as a whole and individual families.

I take the point Deputy Adams raises and note the concern he expressed. While we cannot do everything overnight, we have a clear strategy to have mental health services provided as part of normal health service delivery in the interests of everybody.