I ask the Taoiseach about the comments of Judge Elizabeth McGrath in one of my local papers today relating to secure mental health facilities across the State. She has called it a scandal. The issue relates to a young man whose mother I spoke to today. She lives in fear. Her son spent four and a half months in jail because, as a State, we could not find a place for him in a secure mental health unit. They would not take him in Dundrum or in Cork so he spent four and a half months in jail. In the last 24 hours he has been sent to Ennis, from where he absconded before. People are worried about this young man because of his situation and what he will do to himself or potentially other people. This is a serious issue. We do not have enough places. There are people afraid in case he ends up coming out, breaking out like he did before and hurting people. What comfort can the Taoiseach give his mother, who asked me to raise this today?

I do not know the circumstances and am always loath to comment on the comments of judges but the point the Deputy has raised is a serious one. It is not good enough that any person is in jail who should be in a secure mental health facility. That is not satisfactory. I will ask the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Butler, to examine that.

Thank you, Taoiseach.

I would make one important point. We need to be careful. I can remember a previous era when the courts were ordaining institutionalisation for young offenders, for example, which was the wrong approach, yet it was raised periodically in the Dáil.

That is nothing to do with the issue I raised.

I am sorry but we do not have time for a detailed discussion.

I know the Deputy is talking about something different but we just need to be careful of that.

It is a very serious situation.