Deputy James Brown: I move:

That Dáil Éireann shall consider the Report of the Joint Committee on the Future of Mental Health Care entitled 'Interim Report of the Joint Committee on the Future of Mental Health Care', copies of which were laid before Dáil Éireann on 12 December 2017........

Deputy Michael Harty: ….We must also examine the issue of dual diagnosis of mental health illness along with addiction to opiate drugs, benzodiazepines or alcohol. That is a huge problem. In urban areas, particularly Dublin, if somebody has an addiction problem the psychiatric services do not wish to know, while if one has a psychiatric problem the addiction services do not wish to know. There is a lack of integration and interlinking between those services, which is a huge problem. Another problem is the division of the city. There can be different access to different services on the north side and the south side of the Liffey. People with a dual diagnosis and, indeed, a triple diagnosis where a physical illness is compounding the problem, are very difficult to treat. Emphasis must be placed on that.

I should also refer to alcohol. It is a huge depressant. People in Ireland have a very unhealthy relationship with alcohol. Alcohol precipitates and is part of many of the problems people encounter with their mental health…….