Govt faces further Dáil fire over mental health services

The Government and the Opposition have been engaging in heated exchanges in the Dáil this morning over the lack of services for children with mental health problems.

Fine Gael Leader Enda Kenny questioned the Taoiseach's judgement following his decision not to sack Tim O'Malley as Junior Minister with responsibility for mental health.

Mr O'Malley has been widely criticised after accusing consultant psychiatrists of deliberately exaggerating waiting lists to boost their sense of power.

Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte, meanwhile, accused the Government of repeatedly reducing the proportion of the health budget being spent on mental health services in recent years.

However, the Taoiseach rejected the criticism and insisted that nobody had done more than he had to improve mental health services.

"More staff have been put into this service in the period that I have been Taoiseach than was put in there since the foundation of the State," he said.

"I'm the first Taoiseach since the foundation of the State that has substantially changed and taken seriously this issue."