The lack of out-of-hours support for people experiencing severe mental distress is a national issue, according to the Director of Mental Health Reform.
Speaking on RTÉ's Drivetime, Dr Shari McDaid said they have been advocating for years for the implementation of a government/HSE policy from 2006 that states every area should have out-of-hours mental health services.
Dr McDaid said the use of Emergency Departments by people who cannot access out-of-hours services is not appropriate, and in many situations can add to their distress.
She said the Minister of State with responsibility for Mental Health, Jim Daly, committed that seven-day a week mental health services would be rolled out this year, but that has not been kept.
"We know it is planned for early next year, but that is the reality of the situation we are in," she said.
Dr McDaid added that funding is available, but it is a question of getting the resources in place to deliver the service.
Wexford TD Mick Wallace has said mental health facilities are "not there" in the southeast.
Mr Wallace raised the case of a Wexford man who took his own life earlier this year, during a Dáil debate this week.
He claimed that services were not available to the family of Kenneth Rowe when they were sought in late 2017.
Speaking on the same programme, he said: "We can listen 'til the cows come home about the different services available, but when they were needed they weren't there."
