Lisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The news that €12 million had been withdrawn from the mental health budget by the Minister is inexplicable. This cut is brutal and will have grave consequences for people and their families. News of these cuts came just days after the bodies of two young men were dragged from the river Corrib in Galway. Their families had been searching for weeks to bring home their boys. If only this were a rare occurrence but it is not and, unfortunately, it is becoming all too common. It is clear to me and to others that the nation's mental health is suffering.

Many people are suffering with mental health issues, often in silence and without any resources or inadequate resources. Anxiety and depression are increasing, particularly among young people. Research shows that one in five young adults aged from 19 to 24 experience mental health problems and many do not feel able to seek help because they do not know where to go. The research also found that experiencing mental health issues early in life places one at increased risk of further mental health issues during one's adult years. It is clear that early intervention is key.

Suicide is now the leading cause of death among young people in Ireland and we have the fourth highest rate of teenage suicide in Europe. Young people are coming under increasing pressure in their daily lives, and there is no doubt that social media and the changes in our society are having an impact on this. Shockingly, 60% of young people report feeling stressed about their financial situation. It is clear our society has changed rapidly and we have failed to get to grips with this change and to equip our young people to deal with these changes. We have failed to provide the necessary supports or to provide early intervention to prevent mental health issues developing.

Despite the fact that mental health problems are relatively common, people who experience them often feel they face stigma and discrimination in their communities and among their friends. Suicide rates in Ireland are among the highest in Europe, and it is estimated that more than 500 people, the figure is probably closer to 600 people, die by suicide every year in this country. This is almost two people every day. More than 80% of these are men, and men are five times more likely to die by suicide. These figures are staggering and clearly illustrate that we have not got to grips with the crisis in mental health which our country faces.

Since records began, we have seen an ongoing increase in the number of people presenting with mental health difficulties and people dying by suicide. Now, more than ever, we should be investing more money in mental health services, but instead we see fit to cut chunks out of an already tiny budget. The €12 million which was moved, siphoned off or cut, whatever term one wants to use, was part of a €35 million increase promised in last year's budget, and had been allocated for the hiring of 1,500 staff who are badly needed. People are having difficulty accessing services and experience huge obstacles to getting the help they need. We need to recognise that asking for help is the first major step in a person's recovery, and even getting to that point is difficult.

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I know of people who have been turned away because they could not access services due to a lack of resources and available staff. In my constituency of Mayo suicide has scarred many families and communities, and very few people are left untouched at this point. People are relying heavily on voluntary services and organisations, and I know of people in my constituency who are travelling to Tuam in County Galway to access services in Pieta House because there are no services in the constituency. When one talks to people in Mayo about mental health services the response that one often gets is "What mental health services? There are none".

Other sufferers are being advised by their counsellors and therapists to access cognitive behavioural therapy. This is a major issue. It has now been classed as one of the most effective ways to deal with anxiety and depression, yet people are then being told that they must pay for the cost of this therapy themselves. The average hourly cost of a session of CBT is €80 to €120. That puts it out of the reach of most people. Therefore, on one hand, they are being told that this the therapy and treatment that they need, and on the other hand, they are being told that they cannot afford it.

The scourge of suicide has devastated many families and communities, and many lives could have been saved if proper services had been put in place. How many people have reached out for help only to be told that there is not help there for them? For each person who dies by suicide it is estimated that at least six people are affected and probably many more.

A number of years ago we took a stance against the number of lives being lost on our roads. We set up the Road Safety Authority in 2006 in response to the high number of fatalities on our roads and we have seen the benefits of that to date. We saw huge reductions in the number of deaths. The same can be done with suicide and mental health. Similar actions are required to tackle the huge number of deaths happening every year. We need to overhaul our mental health services and educate our people on how to deal with these issues.

These cuts must be reversed. It is not acceptable to siphon off mental health funding to plug the gaps elsewhere due to mismanagement of health service funds. Definite funding for mental health services must be ring-fenced. I appreciate there is not an endless pot of money, but this comes down to where our priorities lie in spending public funds, and we must at all times prioritise mental health funding.

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