Eamonn Maloney (Dublin South West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I am glad he referred to the issue of bullying which I omitted to mention. It is an ever-increasing difficulty among school-going children in particular which seems to have reached almost phenomenal rates. Anyone who engages with school teachers will confirm that. There seems to be a spate of it from one end of the country to the other. It is not an urban phenomenon, rather it is widespread. As some reports have indicated, there is a very strong link between the cowardly practice of bullying one's peers and suicide, an issue to which the Minister of State and I have alluded.

A strong point was made by the Dr. Rosaleen McElvaney, the author of the Children's Mental Health Coalition report, Someone to Care, a report to which the Minister of State may have referred. She acknowledged the considerable challenges in providing care for children in the mental health sphere. It is a difficult one. She said there is "a clear need for a shared understanding and common language". She also said:

For example, many young people are involved with the youth justice system due to mental health difficulties that are left unaddressed. We need a process that diverts them towards community services that address their needs. Earlier intervention and support will lead to better outcomes for all involved.

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