Tom Neville (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

My comments and thoughts outlined in this statement are meant with the utmost sensitivity and respect for the people and families who have been affected by mental health challenges in anyway.

Suicide is a major issue. In 2014, the total suicide figure for the Republic was 459, 10% per 100,000 with 368 males and 91 females unfortunately taking their lives. The undetermined number of deaths was 62. The rate in Northern Ireland was 268, which is 14.8% per 100,000. We must also be mindful of the statistics on open verdicts, car accidents, drownings, etc., as these too can be as a result of suicide. Ireland also has the fourth highest rate of youth suicide in Europe after Lithuania, Estonia and Finland. When debating this issue, we must also take cognisance of self-harm and attempted suicide. In 2013, 11,061 such cases were recorded. We need to be mindful of the bereaved and work on measures to help and support them. We must do everything we can to research and find the triggers and causes in order to offer preventative solutions. Early intervention, treatment and healing are a must.

Stigma, which has been mentioned by other Deputies, continues to be a major barrier in seeking help with mental health. A 2012 poll carried out by St. Patrick's University Hospital, Dublin showed that 20% believe those with mental health problems are of below average intelligence, 40% consider seeking help for a mental health problem to be a sign of personal failure and 66% expressed a reluctance to hire a person with a history of mental illness believing such persons to be unreliable. Some 30% said they would not be willing to accept someone with a mental health problem as a close friend. These are shocking findings. The poll's findings also stated that stigma regarding mental health is subtle and damaging. It questions the real figure in relation to stigma citing that many who respond to surveys do not want to admit to holding such negative views. The poll states that as a result of stigma in general people are extremely reluctant to discuss their mental health problems and they feel they are letting themselves and their families down if they seek help. This needs to change and people must be encouraged and feel comfortable in coming forward. This is a problem for everyone - for me, for society and for the country as a whole - and it needs to be addressed.

Other areas requiring particular attention are around the newer issue of cyberbullying. Having worked in digital media, I understand the enormous positives around social media and what it can do for people but we must also be mindful of the harm it may cause, particularly to young people when used in a bullying fashion.

Addiction is another area that needs further research and attention. For those with an addiction and a mental health difficulty, there are often barriers to accessing mental health treatment until the addiction has been brought under control, putting this group in a potential catch-22 situation that can lead to the added trauma of homelessness.

From the other end of the spectrum, being homeless puts people at high risk of developing mental health distress. Homelessness exposes people to a risk of trauma, violence and lower self-esteem, while the living conditions and chaotic lifestyle of the street make it difficult for people to access mental health services until they are at crisis point.

To combat these problems, we need to focus on research and education. Data mining and analytics have been used in sporting and business organisations, and we could take cognisance of research in this area and apply it to mental health in order to find solutions. We need to find the root causes with a view to preventing and healing. While the language I am using to outline this is cold, it is with a view on the human toll involved.

Over the years, a number of voluntary initiatives have been taken and phenomenal work has been done, and those involved must be commended. Education is the key to changing attitudes and destigmatising mental health issues. In the past, there was great momentum around advertising awareness of the ill effects of smoking and the trauma caused by accidents. We must push awareness initiatives on mental health. It is not a personal failure for a somebody to seek help. Often, a person needs somebody to offer to make the move to seek help, given that the psychological barrier to the person's doing it himself or herself is too great. While a person may have decided to make the call, the process of making it can be too difficult. Simple awareness and help by a loved one can often help in this. This can happen only through knowledge and understanding fostered by education.

A 20-bed child and adolescent psychiatric unit is required for Limerick in the mid west. One of the key issues in the recovery of a child is the presence of his or her parents. A child needs his or her parents to visit and needs to feel their support and feel comfortable with them. If a child from the mid west is placed in Dublin, Cork or Galway, it is extremely difficult for the families. Some families can afford to visit their children only occasionally, which can have a very detrimental effect on the child.

See this speech in context