Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is a very good statement that the entire House is united here tonight in support of this comprehensive and constructive motion. It is also an indication of the commitment and diligence of my party's health spokesman, Deputy Ó Caoláin, and his staff to campaigning for the provision of a proper mental health service in this country. It is plain to see that we need to improve our mental health services, particularly in the area of suicide prevention. My own county of Kerry has a very bad suicide record, particularly among young men living in rural areas. Families across the county have been devastated by the loss of loved ones to suicide. Kerry has the second highest rate of suicide of any county in Ireland, according to reports from the HSE and the National Office for Suicide Prevention. Crucially, that rate dropped after a young lad in Kerry, Donal Walsh, who is known to many people, went on the national airwaves while terminally ill to plead with young people who might be in a bad place to appreciate the importance of the gift of life and to hang in there. Even though Donal has gone from us, there is no doubt that his example and his plea had a huge impact on young people. The suicide rate among young people in County Kerry dropped as a consequence of his work.

There is a responsibility on the Government to provide the necessary funding to assist people suffering from depression and similar illnesses. Equally, it needs to assist those who deal with mental patients who are often very sick. I have been in contact with the Psychiatric Nurses Association of Ireland regarding the mental health services provided at Kerry General Hospital. I have been told - this is on the record - that there has been a sharp increase in the number of assaults on staff in the acute psychiatric service at Kerry General Hospital. The association believes this is a serious health and safety issue. I would like to read into the record details of the litany of physical assaults on the staff of the acute service last month. On 1 June, a female nurse was bitten. Three days later, a male nurse was scratched. On 6 June, there were two separate incidents, with a female nurse and a male nurse being assaulted. The following day, a female nurse was injured. On 17 June, a female nurse was assaulted and another was struck with a telephone. The following day, a female nurse was injured and a security man was assaulted by being sprayed with aerosol that was ignited using a cigarette lighter. A female nurse was assaulted on 27 June and the same thing happened on 29 June. All of what happened during the single month of June can be attributed to a lack of staff. There is not enough nursing care to help the patients who are in need. They cannot be blamed because they are ill. If an appropriate number of staff is not made available to provide an adequate service, the consequence will be what happened at Kerry General Hospital in the month of June. This is widespread across the State.

When I was coming up here tonight, one name kept coming into my head. John Michael was my neighbour. He lived around the corner from me. I knew John Michael very well. He was a relative of mine. John Michael came from a broken family. His mother was an ill person. She had been in and out of psychiatric homes. John Michael ended up on drugs. He made a big effort after he was released from prison, but he slipped and went back on the drugs. He ended up taking his own life. I expect that every Deputy has a John Michael somewhere in his or her family background. That is why there is such an onus on all of us to do what we can - everything possible - to ensure all the John Michaels out there get the support necessary to help them. Facilities need to be available, in the community and elsewhere, to help them.

Many Deputies will recall what happened some years ago in a fishing village not far from where I live. I grew up there. We had five tragedies, one after the other, within the space of a year and a half. All of them involved young men under the age of 23. Four of them came from one small housing estate and one of them came from an adjoining village. The manner in which these tragedies were portrayed by the terrible gutter press affected the families that were grieving and suffering terribly as a consequence of what had happened. I say that to remind the House that the press has a responsibility. Role models are there to help people who need assistance. As legislators, we have a responsibility to do the right thing. The Government is responsible for providing the funding that is necessary.

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