Áine Collins (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Over the years, we have been trying to deal with many and various injustices of the past, issues like child abuse, mother and children homes, and the Magdalen Laundries. As a society our attitude towards mental health has been appalling. We stigmatised people with mental health problems and in many cases committed them to institutional care. Care was not the motivation. We simply locked these people up in institutions that were more like prisons than care homes. The prevailing policy was "out of sight out of mind".

Thankfully, in recent times huge strides have been made in addressing these mistakes of the past. The Government and the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, are making huge efforts to address the issues raised in this motion.

In rural areas suicides, particularly of young males, continue to be a huge problem. Social deprivation, drugs and alcohol are huge contributors to this situation. Social isolation, unemployment and lack of services are adding to the problem in rural Ireland. We must increase our support for organisations working with these vulnerable people.

The inability of communities to maintain sporting and cultural activities due to financial constraints add to these difficulties. There is general acceptance that single-driver fatal accidents might be masking the real figures for suicide. Indeed, some cases have tragic outcomes, as happened in my area when a suicidal driver created an incident which resulted in the deaths of an entire family, except for the mother. This remarkable woman has since become involved in a campaign to ensure that gardaí are properly trained in how to deal with incidents like this. That woman recently met with the acting Garda Commissioner and will meet shortly with the Minister for Justice and Equality. Hopefully, as a result of those meetings, more emphasis will be placed on this aspect of training by the Garda authorities.

The real difficulty in dealing with mental health is the fact that we cannot generalise. Each person with mental health problems must, to a large extent, be dealt with on an individual basis. As the motion says a "person-centred approach is vital to the achievement of the best results".

The Government must strive urgently to provide the necessary resources to establish and sustain a 24/7 crisis support service. This service must operate in close conjunction with local community health teams. This is critical for people experiencing severe mental or emotional distress.

Since 2011, the Government has prioritised reform of mental health services. Some €90 million has been provided, mainly to strengthen community mental health teams both for adults and children.

One issue that constantly arises is the ongoing practice of placing children and adolescents in adult psychiatric facilities. The Minister is doing everything possible to address this issue. It is hoped that community-based services, coupled with an increase in beds from 44 to 80, will soon put an end to this unacceptable practice.

About one in four people experience mental health problems in their lifetime. Some 90% of these cases of mental health problems are dealt with in primary care. The aim is to move from traditional institutional care to a community-based mental health service where the need for hospitalisation is greatly reduced. This approach will lead to closing strategies for the remaining old institutions.

It is recognised that appropriate services and accommodation will be necessary for some patients. The provision is currently being planned and implemented for these patients.

Replacing the Central Mental Hospital with an appropriate modern facility is a clear sign that this Minster and the Government is determined to change and reform the whole attitude towards mental health. It must be recognised that the Minister has been working, and continues to work, tirelessly towards achieving all the desired changes and improvements being suggested in this motion.

Enormous progress has been made, particularly considering the horrific economic circumstances this country has suffered for the last seven years. The work continues and will be accelerated as soon as funding allows.

In these circumstances, I commend the work of Minster of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, to the House and I support the Government's steps in this regard.

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