SDLP Ballyarnett councillor Rory Farrell
Speaking at Council’s Health & Community committee meeting, after the announcement of a six month funding solution, the Ballyarnett representative said:
“For once it seems that every party or individual in here is saying exactly the same thing about the Crisis Intervention Service.
“We need it. Mental health issues in this city are well documented. Suicide rates in this city are well documented and it’s World Suicide Prevention Day, so it’s timely that we’ve got this announcement.
“We’ve got it for six months, but as everybody else has said there needs to be sustainable funding, and it’s not just the Health Minister – there needs to be collective agreement across the Executive.
Councillor Farrell continued: “Every Executive party is in this chamber. We all agree in here, so our colleagues in Stormont should be able to agree as well.
“People see this constant fight for funding for mental health and it just shows the priority it has for our government.
“So they need to get their heads together. And they need to provide funding certainty for this vital service in our city.
“And people will rightly say why is it that the North West has to fight so hard for things that other areas just get without a battle, and they’d be right.”
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