Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It has got me this far. We all know that young people have been adversely affected by mental health issues, especially because of the restrictions. Their structures have been taken away, including access to schools and colleges. Jobs they would have availed of in the bar trade, restaurants or whatever it might be have been curtailed, as has access to their sports clubs. They are told to have an outdoor summer but when they gather outdoors they are being looked down on by certain members of society. It is very difficult time to be a young person. Beat 102-103's survey captures how difficult it is for young people to take part in normal society. Young people should be out with their peers, making mistakes, learning from them and doing all the things we did when we were growing up. That has been curtailed for young people.

One of the statistics in the Beat 102-103 survey was that 73% of young people who stated that they had mental health difficulties during the restrictions did not avail of any help. Do the witnesses have any insight into why that was? Did young people know about the services that were out there? Was there a stigma about accessing them? What might have led to that?

To follow up on the issue of a youth director for mental health within the HSE, that is something I would definitely support but the problem is we do not even have an overall clinical director of mental health in the HSE. We need to look at the issue at that level so we can start putting structures in place that will help young people, or anybody, affected by mental health issues. Does Ms Cummins have any insight into the 73% figure?