Tonight Panelists, 26th January 2010

Tonight's Panel will be discussing the topic of Mental Health on the occasion of the 4th anniversary of the Government's 'Vision For Change' strategy. Click here to view that strategy document in full.

John Moloney TD

A native of Portlaoise, Co. Laois, John Moloney was first elected to the Dail in 1997. He was appointed Junior Minister for Equaltuy, Disability and Mental Health in 2008.

In January 2009, the Department of Finance refuted his claim that proceeds from the sale of psychiatric hospitals and lands were to be ringfenced for mental health services. Earlier in the same month Mr. Moloney, a personal friend and constituency colleague of Taoiseach Brian Lenihan, had attracted bad press after making remarks concerning the Taoiseach which the Junior Minister claimed were taken out of context.

He has served on Joint Committees Family, Community and Social Affairs, Education and Science, and Tourism, Sport & Recreation.

See what John Moloney has been saying in the Oireachtas about mental health over on kildarestreet.com

Dr Siobhan Barry

Dr Barry is a Consultant Psychiatrist and Clinical Director of the Cluain Mhuire Service at St. John of God's Community Mental Health Service in Co. Dublin. She has been consulted by Joint Oireachtas Committees on the use of Cannabis and Cocaine, as well as suicide in Ireland.

She is co-editor of the book 'Understanding Mental Health'.

Carl O'Brien

Carl O'Brien is the Chief Correspondent of The Irish Times. In this role, and in his previous role as Social Affairs Correspondent, he has written extensively on the mental health services of Ireland. To view some of this work, click here.

The papers will be reviewed tonight with Niamh Lyons (Political Correspondent, The Daily Mail) and Cllr Clare Daly (Socialist Party).