Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the witnesses for their educational presentation. We all are here to learn. It seems clear to me that what is lacking in the system are empathy, education, support, equality and inclusion. Senator Black referred to dual diagnosis, which is a new development. Surely, in 2016, we should have got to the point where we know what is required in terms of empathy and education and the supports that should be in place. Unfortunately, the entire system is fractured. Senator Dolan observed that it is not all to do with the health service, that we must also look to social inclusion. It is about people getting out in the world and making approaches. Many people with disabilities are not sick. We must ensure they have the best quality of life we can provide by focusing on equality and inclusion. A simple step to implement would be the provision of streetscapes on all main streets, ensuring they are wheelchair accessible, there is the correct colour code and so on.

I agree with Senator Colette Kelleher that certain groups continue to be excluded. Again, this usually comes down to a lack of education. The Traveller community suffers a great deal in this regard. The extremely high suicide rates in that community are not being reported properly and many Traveller families have been let down. LGBT people have also suffered but, fortunately, through education and inclusion, people are getting their stories out.

Returning to Senator Black's point about dual diagnosis, it comes down to three factors, namely, education, empathy and support. Each person is an individual with specific needs and should be treated as such. There is always an underlying problem in these cases and it is vital to identify that problem as soon as possible instead of allowing it to fester until the person eventually presents for help. GPs have a vital role in this regard and we should be seeking to nip these issues in the bud at primary care level. The greatest problem in this area is that there does not seem to be a consensus on how to proceed. We remain a cure society when we should be a preventative society, even though we would likely spend three times less if we looked to prevent rather than cure.

I commend the witnesses on their contribution. We are all here to learn as we work to make improvements for the future.