I ask about the commitment in the programme for Government to improve "the uniformity, effectiveness and timeliness of support services to families and communities bereaved by suicide." Two weeks ago, UNICEF published a damning international report on child well-being, which revealed that the teenage suicide rate in this State is the fourth highest in the EU-OECD region. Professor Brendan Kelly of Trinity College told the Seanad Public Consultation Committee last week that it is almost impossible to get a hospital bed for a child or an adolescent struggling with mental health issues.

At the weekend it was reported that 44 children had been admitted to adult units in the first five months of this year, which is an increase on last year. My constituency has no child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, in the north Louth area. Community-based psychiatric services in Dundalk are practically non-existent, apart from Ladywell, which, despite the hard work of the staff there, is not fit for purpose.

Given the much talked-up summer economic statement today, will the Taoiseach commit to the provision of fully staffed and adequately funded mental health services? Will he ensure a significant increase in mental health funding in budget 2018?

The funding for mental health has increased considerably in recent years - by more than €100 million a year. It has increased this year from €826 million to €853 million. For example, the budget for the National Office for Suicide Prevention has more than doubled in recent years. We are now seeing a reduction in suicide rates. It is already the case that suicide rates in Ireland are below the average in Europe, although there is a particularly high level among young people and young males in particular.

Some 100 new assistant psychologist posts have recently been sanctioned. That is particularly for the early intervention primary care area. The contract has been signed for the new forensic mental health hospital in Portrane. It will replace a very old facility in Dundrum with a new state-of-the-art one that is now under construction. In the first five months of 2017, there have been 136 CAMHS admissions, of which 44 were child admissions to adult units and 92 to CAMHS units. The Mental Health Commission report for 2016 shows a downward trend of about 30% in the number of child and adolescent admissions to adult units, compared with 2015. However, I appreciate that we have taken a step backwards in recent months.