Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank all 14 witnesses. This is the Seanad at its best; it is the people's Parliament. The witnesses represent the people, as do we. They come from a different perspective, however,. It is critical that all of us here can be proud of how this Parliament - the people's Parliament - is addressing an issue of such importance. I also acknowledge the professional values which are clearly enunciated by the witnesses, as professional people at the coalface. I do not intend to ask too many questions, although I do have one or two. I acknowledge the work done by Senator Freeman, the rapporteur, in co-ordinating this. She started this morning by saying that we want to have the truth and to have a truthful conversation. We have had that in buckets. I acknowledge that and thank her for it.

The witnesses have an advocacy role, as do we. I looked at A Vision for Change when preparing for today's meeting. I paid particular attention to the foreword, which was written by a former colleague of mine and then Minister of State with responsibility for mental health, Tim O'Malley, who is based in Limerick, and thought about how little has been done since 2006. On behalf of the then Government, the former Minister of State set out a clear policy in a clear document. How little of that has come to fruition.

Today, we have heard witnesses outline a litany of problems and huge challenges for the sector, for politicians and policymakers. The practitioners here clearly have a thirst for change and its delivery. I have three questions for them. While the witnesses engage with us, it is important that we engage with them in order to ensure that the process is meaningful. Can someone explain why we have seen a continued increase in suicide among young males? That is important. A number of people spoke about the recruitment and retention of staff. Can they provide an example of how that can be improved and how we can incentives the services to retain very capable and important staff?

Someone observed that 16 and 17 year olds seem to be overlooked in this service. Do the witnesses feel that we need a stand-alone service for 16 to 24 year olds and would it alleviate the pressure? Finally, there was a proposal for a national mental health service directorate. What are the witnesses views on this? Is there a need for specialist national mental health service directed with authority and accountability and controls which would be resourced.

I thank the witnesses for once again shining a light on this very important issue.