Anthony Lawlor (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister of State for her comprehensive reply. I took part in the SafeTALK training programme in the Oireachtas a number of weeks ago. I was the only Deputy to do so, unfortunately. There were some other people there. Another training course is taking place this Thursday. I encourage as many Deputies as possible to take the course. We deal with people who may have suicidal thoughts. We need to be able to recognise if that is the case. We should be in a position to identify that at an early stage. Deputies deal with people who are under pressure for all sorts of reasons. The possibility may exist that some of these people might consider taking their own lives. The last thing a Deputy wants is for someone who has passed through his or her office to decide eventually to take his or her own life because he or she cannot deal with the pressures that exist in this country. I encourage as many Deputies as possible to attend the SafeTALK programme on Thursday. If they are not in a position to do so, perhaps their staff might attend instead.

I welcome the Minister of State's repeated commitment to ring-fencing the HSE's mental health budget of €35 million. It is vitally important that we send a signal that we are serious about mental health and that we intend to reduce the number of people who take their own lives each year. I welcome the Minister of State's comments about the stigma associated with mental health matters. One of the reasons I am in favour of the SafeTALK course is that it ensures as many people as possible in the community are aware of the problem of suicide. If more people talk about and highlight this problem, it will surely be prevented in the future. We need to send a serious signal that we are determined to reduce the scourge of suicide in our communities.

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