Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Mental health cases are dealt with by every public representative. Mental illness affects many families. It is sometimes as commonplace as alcoholism, and sometimes the two are related. It does not seem to receive the same recognition as alcoholism. As others have said, we lose as many to suicide as to road accidents annually, yet we still seem to treat mental illness as taboo and as something attracting a stigma.

There are many very good organisations dealing with mental health services. To the credit of Minister of State Kathleen Lynch, she fought tooth and nail to protect the budgets for both mental health services and disability services. After fighting in here during the term of the previous Dáil for a slice of the health Vote, she then took on the HSE when it attempted to impose greater budgetary cuts affecting mental health and disability services. If it is the case that there is a problem with the recruitment system at present, we should examine this. Pay and conditions are a problem. I was a member of the old east coast area health board. Twelve years ago, the current leader of the largest Opposition party sought, in his wisdom, to disband the health boards and replace them with the HSE.

Consider the problem that existed affecting orthodontists. I acknowledge they are in a different system. Orthodontists – I refer to those in critical front-line services - sign up to two years of ongoing service after qualification. A two-year period would mean staff would be in the system and it would ensure a continual supply. This should be considered as part and parcel of the review of how we recruit staff in the mental health field. The staff are specialists.

I, too, intend to walk on 7 May at 4.15 p.m. I was at the launch of the Pieta House event for Wicklow. It was very pertinent that it was held in a secondary school, Coláiste Chill Mhantáin, where a great effort is made to include the second year students. Statistics show that those who are most likely to experience unforeseen mental illness and to become suicidal are between 15 and 25. They are mainly boys, but not exclusively. I hope that targeting this cohort by including the schools as part of the Pieta House walking event Darkness into Light helps those affected to see that there is help available. There are many voluntary organisations in every constituency and county doing great work.

I am a member of the drugs task force in my area. We fund various projects working with various addiction services. There is a link between drug use, alcoholism and mental illness. Unless we tackle the problem in the round, we will never really address the core issues causing mental illness. Early intervention, early assistance and working with people on diversionary projects are all important.

I am glad to have had this opportunity. There is a lot to be done. Everybody in this House feels that if we allocate the money, we should be able to spend it on mental health and disability services, in particular. It has been difficult to obtain the money at times, but when we get it we cannot spend it. This seems like a paradox. I hope we can address that.

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