I refer to the serious deficiency in child and adult mental health services in community healthcare organisation 7, which covers Dublin South-West and North Kildare. It has resulted in particular cases being referred to the courts when no other institutional care was available. Such cases ending up in the courts is not of any therapeutic benefit, medical or otherwise. A similar situation pertains with regard to education places for children with an acute level of disorder. The mother of one such child stated after a recent court case that her child is locked out of the system. I have already brought this to the attention of the various authorities. Will the Taoiseach use his considerable influence to ensure these issues are addressed in the shortest possible time?

I agree wholeheartedly with the Deputy that these issues should not be resolved in courts, ideally. That is why we have National Educational Welfare Board that I established when I was Minister for Education and Science in the late 1990s. That is why we should have very proactive programmes to intervene early in the life cycle of a child to deal with issues that children and young people have and to do so in the most appropriate setting and in a timely way. It is a failure when it ends up in court.