Some nine mental health consultants in Carlow, Kilkenny and south Tipperary have withdrawn their confidence in the HSE's management of the service. As was revealed on RTE's "This Week" programme, these doctors, in a letter to the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, cited nine suicides by service users between August 2011 and January 2013. They included three suicides by in-patients by the same means, four suicides in home settings and one in a crisis house. The Taoiseach will agree that this is dramatic, disturbing and a very serious development. The doctors in question raised their concerns with the HSE in November 2012 and on a number of subsequent occasions. In their letter to the Minister of State one year ago they repeatedly questioned the safety of governance in the service, saying they felt devalued and ignored in attempting to raise concerns. They called on the Minister of State to intervene to ensure the proper investigation of incidents and that review findings would be properly communicated and appropriate reforms implemented. They were told their concerns had been addressed, but they said they were not informed of the outcomes of reviews of serious incidents. Is the Taoiseach concerned about the number of deaths by suicide of mental health service users in this area? Has he discussed it with the Minister or the Minister of State? What does the Government intend to do about this very disturbing revelation?

Everybody is concerned about the phenomenon of suicide and its tragic consequences in any family for whatever reason. The Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, dealt very capably with the report in recent days, both in respect of her advice that she was awaiting two reports to be brought before us and the progress made since A Vision for Change was published in 2006. She has made it clear that the recommendations made in the reports from the Mental Health Commission inspectorate are taken very seriously, as they should be. Today's report highlights the progress made since A Vision for Change was published in 2006. Further work must be done and that is evident. The report states:

Although most residences are too large, overall the care and treatment of residents in 24-hour supervised residences has improved since 2005 and it appears that the major factor influencing this improvement has been the move of clinical care to rehabilitation teams and the consequent implementation of individual multidisciplinary care planning.

Since 2012 the Government has prioritised the reform of mental health services and allocated an additional €90 million and 1,100 posts, primarily to strengthen the community mental health teams for both adults and children, enhance specialist community mental health services for older people with a mental illness and those with an intellectual disability and forensic mental health services in line with A Vision for Change which everybody accepted.

The aim is to move away from the old-style psychiatric hospitals to provide care in a more flexible, community-based mental health service. Everyone agrees with that policy. The HSE's national service plan 2014 is underpinned by a detailed mental health operational plan for the year. This is an issue of which the Minister is very cognisant. Consultation took place with all of the relevant professionals.

Where suicide occurs it is a tragedy for those concerned and their immediate families and a matter of serious importance for Government. In respect of the issue of some high support hostels having more than ten beds, the HSE has committed to reviewing the arrangements that apply. For Deputy Adams's information, it is important to note that all residents in 24-hour staffed hostels receive a mental health service and are supported either by a rehabilitation team or an adult community mental health team. Clearly, we have work to do for the future, but the report today from Dr. Susan Finnerty spells out the progress which has been made.

The Taoiseach will know that 500 people take their lives by suicide in the State and 300 do so in the North while upwards of 12,000 people self harm. These are the reported cases. The nine cases I raise with the Taoiseach, however, happened while the people were in the care of the State. Concerns were raised by the clinicians who were in senior positions in the area. Contrary to the Taoiseach's reply, they say they are being ignored. The report on the services was only commissioned six months after the consultants first wrote to the Minister.

Every second week, we hear disturbing revelations about our mental health services. There were 80 admissions of children to adult in-patient psychiatric units last year. The Children's Rights Alliance says this represents a clear breach of children's rights. It is not acceptable. We read in The Irish Times today that hundreds of psychiatric patients moved out of mental hospitals in the last few decades are living in totally unsuitable conditions with limited access to health care, which is also contrary to what the Taoiseach said.

Is the Taoiseach concerned that this is a crisis that is costing lives while, once again, the mental health services are very much the Cinderella of an already decaying health service? There is a serious matter here. I would like to think the Taoiseach will take on board in his response the fact that these nine citizens took their own lives while in the care of the State and that the consultants working in the area have withdrawn confidence in the governance of the service.

I agree with the Deputy that the mental health service was the Cinderella of the entire service for a long number of years. That is why the current Government ring-fenced particular funding to deal with the mental health service and to make it part of the normal quality of health service provided. As I pointed out to the Deputy, that is why €90 million in additional funding was put in place along with 1,100 posts to staff community consultancy teams and mental health action teams where necessary.

As I said, the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, has pointed out that there were consultations with everybody, including the professionals, working in the service, to bring about the best response. "A Vision for Change" was a document accepted by everybody. We have made very substantial progress and will continue with it. The nine suicides are tragic and are to be regretted as is every suicide and death that occurs of that nature. Clearly, the question of children who have died in State care is another matter of concern. Obviously, we have the statistics that point to where these tragic events happened also. Nobody wants to see a death occur by suicide or for any other reason where it can possibly be prevented. When one reads the reports, one can see the progress made since 2005 and we would like to continue to build on it through the allocation of appropriate resources in the budget later this year and in the future.

As I know from the west of Ireland, the move from the big psychiatric institutions has been beneficial for the vast majority of those who use community-based services now. We want to continue that.