Mark Wall (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I wish to be associated with the remembrance and kind words of Senators O'Loughlin and Clonan regarding Sergeant Declan "Doc" O'Connell. We send our sympathies to his family. Doc, as he was so fondly known, played some over-35s football in Athy town during his time there. He is fondly remembered in the town. It was a shock to everybody in County Kildare when the news of his death broke in recent days.

I bring to the House the story of a young girl. Her name is Slaney and she is from Athy. I met her yesterday in connection with her recent diagnosis of ADHD. Slaney is 24 years of age. She wants to tell her story because as she says, if she can help one person by sharing her experience, that is good enough for her. She was diagnosed with combined-type ADHD in November 2022 at the age of 24. She had gone through her whole life with undiagnosed ADHD, which she described as an exhausting struggle. She endured stress while trying to avail of an assessment. She told me that despite the fact she struggled to respect authority figures, including teachers, and also struggled to get along with her peers, no one suspected she had ADHD. She said there is a serious lack of education regarding ADHD as the stereotypical idea of someone with the disorder is a hyperactive young boy. As a result, many girls and women live with undiagnosed ADHD.

Slaney went on to tell me that her ADHD became more prevalent in her teenage years when she started secondary school. She fell behind in class and acted as if she did not care when, in reality, she was ashamed and embarrassed that she could not focus on her work and reach her potential. She told me it was not that she did not know how to do the work but rather that she could not force herself to do it. She could never understand how everyone around her kept up with their work and studied with such ease as it was completely alien to her. She hated school and looking back now, she can see that the main reason for that was because she did not receive the support or understanding she needed. Nevertheless, she passed her leaving certificate. She tried to pursue an honours degree in law at Carlow IT but, unfortunately, she stepped away after two years. As a teenager of 16 or 17 she decided to speak to her GP about how she felt and was put on antidepressants but these did not help. She stopped taking them after a few months, despite the box specifically saying not to stop taking them before consulting a doctor. Slaney's story goes on and on. She said that she lacked most of the symptoms associated with the various diagnoses that she got and continued to get. She was referred to the mental health services in Kildare. Eventually she had no choice but to seek a private ADHD assessment, which cost a few hundred euro. However, that did not bother her because she felt it was worth it. She asks how many young people have been diagnosed with mental health issues like she was, when they actually have ADHD that has been overlooked. It is a scary thought for her.

There is a complete lack of support for people with ADHD from schools and colleges. There is a stigma around it, with those who have ADHD thought to be lazy, unmotivated and unreliable. It is Slaney's opinion that her anxiety stems from trying her hardest to mask her ADHD in public. She is clumsy and awkward and she talks too fast, which heightens her anxiety as she forces herself to act normal in front of other people and not to show these little traits. Slaney says that ADHD is not shameful and should not be treated as such. She finishes by saying that if she can help even one person by sharing her experiences, that is good enough for her. I ask for a discussion on this issue with the Minister for Health. ADHD in adults is under-diagnosed in this country and I am sure Slaney's experience is shared by many.