Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)

I commend the Independent Deputies for bringing this motion to the House. Sadly it is a timely one but it is also an appropriate one to remind us that much research has been done in this area and conclusions have been drawn, but the resources in terms of finance and staffing are required. It is high time the Government gave more resources to assisting the various agencies that assist people who may be vulnerable or families who have suffered from suicide.

There is incredible pressure today, especially on younger people. As people look around them very often they see success stories, they see young people who have done well in life, who have got the right job, a car and a home, but there are many people left behind in today's Ireland. There are many people who find it difficult to confide to their friends that they have not been a success, that they have not succeeded in college, work life or social life. I suspect that the resources are not there for these young people who find it difficult to express themselves socially. There can be great financial pressure on those who have not been lucky enough to get on to the housing ladder when the time was right. When they see success stories all around them, it can lead them into a cycle of depression and despair. It is crucial that we provide resources and reach out to those young people.

It is important for society to think long and hard about the needs of people in their teens and early 20s. We should not put too much pressure on them to behave fully as adults. If we put too much pressure on young people in this way we will not allow them to be themselves. Young people should be healthy and happy and we should allow them to live their lives in this way. We should not pigeon-hole them, whether it be by gender, culture, socio-economic status, sexual orientation or otherwise.

Pressure also comes from other angles. The advertising industry bombards us with message upon message saying that one can have that car, one should have that drink and one can use money to achieve success. We must look at the various areas where pressure is applied. We should tone down some of the advertising that tells us that success is based on material goods. We should also tone down some of the messages that are coming at young people from society.

We must examine carefully the research that has been carried out. We should ensure that there are people to listen when times are tough and we should look at the groups who are most vulnerable and give them assistance. We should put forward the idea of a healthy lifestyle free from alcohol and other drugs. We should make sure that if people are using drugs such as alcohol they have a helping hand available to them.

Much work remains to be done in the area of resources. The State must provide more sporting facilities and amenities for young people. The young people in my area are crying out for a skate park but it is an uphill struggle to get funding for it. It is far easier to get funding for roads or other issues than to get for the things this particularly vulnerable group from their mid-teens to their early 20s require. I accept that transportation is crucial in ensuring that, among other things, people have ways of accessing their social life.

There is great pressure on young people to live up to the expectations that come through the messages from advertising and other areas. I applaud the wording of the motion. I urge the Government to live up to the recommendations of the task force that were made six or seven years ago. We need to see more progress in regard to them. In particular, funding must be provided to deliver youth services in the areas of arts, sports and education to give younger people a better chance in life. The Green Party supports the motion.

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