Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Education is key. Everybody knows what to do if they break a leg.

When a person feels confused, his or her heart and mind are not in the right place. It takes a lot to hurt oneself. A person may think he or she is abnormal and wonder why he or she is doing it. Nobody else knows because he or she believes he or she is the only person in the world doing it. Thankfully, that attitude is changing. Yes, it is hard to strike a balance, but sometimes we must be brutally honest, which is why I have raised this matter. I can see the clinical side, but education is key. When Deputy Eugene Murphy and I were first elected, we were given a big box, as was the Chairman. I went through everything that was in it and read all of the instructions, but there was no mention of common sense. Therefore, we must strike a balance.