FG demand extra funding for psychiatric services

Fine Gael TD Dan Neville has today accused the Government of failing to respect the human rights of people with mental illness.

He is asking the new Minister for Finance, Brian Cowen, in his first Budget, to restore the level of revenue to the Psychiatric Services what it was in 1997.

He said the allocation has been cut to from 11% to just 6.7% in the intervening years.

He also said he believes that it is the Government’s duty to rid the country of the stigma tied to mental illness.