Dr. Emer Smyth:

Mr. Donohoe has covered the student loan issue very well, so I will not spend time on it. On the mental health issue, I agree it is not a matter of ad hoc supports. Within institutions we need embedded supports, from broad-brush supports for many to more intensive supports for the few who need them. However, there are broader issues concerning child, adolescent and adult community mental health services and underfunding.

The Sharing the Vision mental health policy has a lovely vision of covering the spectrum of supports but that requires very significant investment. I would have very grave concerns, given the patterns we saw in the Growing Up in Ireland study, that those young people will experience scarring effects that will predispose them to mental health difficulties going forward. That will have an impact on their educational and employment outcomes, as well as their health and well-being. It is a matter of urgency when we see that more than half of 22-year-old women are experiencing difficulties above the depression threshold. That is very concerning.