Iveragh in south Kerry is remote to many of the people who live elsewhere on this island. It is a main attraction for many. For many of those living there, its remoteness is neither an attraction nor an advantage when it comes to health services, be they physical or mental. A proposal to move mental health services from Caherciveen Community Hospital to Killorglin would be a detrimental move for everybody resident from Castlecove to Portmagee, Valentia to Dromid and Kells to Ballinskelligs. The service includes 100 users and their families. Any move by the Health Service Executive would make this crucial service inaccessible to many of them. Space for the ambulance station, which is mooted for the move, is a high priority for the south Kerry area but surely not at the expense of our indispensable mental health service. This would add 88 km for all users of the service, unnecessarily doubling a hazardous road journey for vulnerable people, most without their own transport. I plead with the Tánaiste to intervene.

Deputy Carroll MacNeill and I will ask the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, as the Minister of State responsible for mental health to look at the serious points Deputy Cahill made. It sounds like there is a lot of stress and concern in the local community. I know the Minister of State will be eager to constructively engage with him and the HSE on this matter. I will ask her to come back directly to the Deputy.