Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I very much welcome the opportunity to speak on the issue of mental health. Every citizen should have access to local, specialised and comprehensive mental health service provision that is of the highest standard. Mental health issues affect every family in Ireland today in some shape or form. They do not discriminate against age, gender or background. Unfortunately, there is still a stigma attached to mental issues. Too many people still see mental health issues as a sign of weakness. We must, as a society, change this.

I do not see mental health issues as signs of weakness. Instead, it is a sign of amazing strength when a person seeks help in getting treatment. Too often, people are afraid or embarrassed to ask for help or admit they have problems because of the stigma attached to mental health issues. While I am the first to admit progress has been made in this area over the past decade much more needs to be done. We must remove the stigma attached to mental health issues and the first step in this is education. We must make people aware that mental health issues, just like any other medical issues, can be treated. Starting in schools, we should educate our teenagers not only of the dangers of mental health issues but also the signs of mental health issues among their peers. Very often it is one's peers to whom one turns in times of stress, and we need to concentrate on this. If they are aware of the dangers and signs of mental health issues they are in a much better position to help their friends and family when needed. Secondary schools are a great place to start, and, with the help of guidance counsellors, a programme could be put in place for students to understand mental health issues, not only with regard to identifying issues but also dealing with them. Often, when a person is in need of help the hardest thing for the person to do is to seek that help. If the person's peers or family are aware of the signs of mental health issues then it becomes much easier for them to help the person affected.

A Vision for Change was launched in 2006 and is an attempt to address mental health issues. It details a comprehensive model of mental health service provision for Ireland. It places special emphasis on the need to take an holistic view of mental health illnesses and the need to involve the end users and their families, with carers at every level of the service provision. It recommended that mental health services should be organised nationally in catchment areas of between 250,000 and 400,000. It also proposed that mental health promotion should be available for all age groups to enhance protective factors and decrease risk factors for developing mental health problems. Service provision should be prioritised and developed where there is greatest need. It also proposed to bring about the closure of all mental hospitals, with the money received being reinvested in mental health services.

At present, the amount of funding for mental health services in the Louth and Meath area is €104 per head of population, while the national average is €152. This situation cannot continue. It Is simply not right that the people of Louth and Meath do not have the same level of funding for mental health services as the rest of the country. I will seek an absolute commitment that funding will be increased to at least the national average of €152 per head of population by 2019 at the latest. This is the very least to which the people of Louth and Meath are entitled and they deserve it.

Better education at an early stage is the key to a better understanding of mental health issues. It will help people to identify the symptoms and deal with the effects of mental health issues. Prevention is better than cure, and if we can prevent mental health issues at an early stage then we have a much better outcome for all concerned. We must encourage people to talk about their mental health issues and remove once and for all the stigma attached to mental health issues in Ireland.

Many people have different ideas on how best to deal with mental health issues. This issue cannot be used as a political football, and any Deputy or party who attempts to do so does not fully understand the seriousness of mental health. I am concerned that funding for mental health services in the Louth and Meath area is well below the national average, and I want a firm commitment that this will be rectified by 2019 at the latest and that the people of Louth and Meath can have the same level of funding for mental health services as the rest of the country.

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