Michael Harty (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Before we conclude, I want to raise two points regarding mental health. The incidence of suicide in Ireland is frightening. It is in excess of 500 a year and almost two and half times that of deaths in road traffic accidents. In relation to what Deputy Louise O'Reilly said, the lack of talk therapy treatments is a issue not only in Dublin but right throughout the country. In my area, we have not had a psychologist for two and a half years. There is a significant gap in supplying talk therapy. Mental health is not merely the prescription of drugs. It is talking and communicating with people, particularly young men, which group has the highest incidence of suicide in Ireland. It is important that issue is addressed. There are many voluntary organisations providing mental health services, particularly in respect of suicide, and they are crying out for funding or for the appointment of psychologists and therapists.

Lastly, on health and well-being, the graphic refers specifically to vaccination and I will concentrate on that. There is a vaccine which is in serious trouble, that is, the HPV vaccine for the prevention of cervical cancer. The HPV vaccine could possibly reduce the incidence of cervical cancer, which is associated with the HPV virus that is implicated in 70% of cervical cancers. The uptake of that vaccination programme has dropped to less than 50%. There is a lot of adverse publicity regarding the vaccine. The only way to address this is to address the parents and the young girls who feel they have been affected by the vaccine. Otherwise, the vaccine uptake will decline further. The Minister might comment on those two issues.