Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important matter. That we are now openly talking about mental health is an example of how we are moving forward in society. We are identifying that people’s mental health is not always as good as it could be and that we should not be afraid to seek help. If one sprains one’s ankle, one seeks help. One goes to the doctor or the physiotherapist until one is fixed, after which and can walk fine again. For too long, people were afraid to speak out about how they were feeling. Then the way they were feeling became normal and they probably did not realise in the end they were not well. People around them may not have realised they were not well and needed help. It is wonderful now that we can actually speak about this and ensure our loved ones are looked after. It is the Government’s responsibility to ensure the services required to help them, irrespective of their age, are put in place.

I was serving as Acting Chairman when Deputy Troy spoke about his feelings on a previous occasion in this debate. When he spoke, I felt I sometimes feel a little like what he described. That weekend, I was speaking to some friends and my family and I said there was a very interesting contribution in the Chamber. My friends and family said they also feel a little like what I described. It dawned on me, having thought quite a bit about it, that we all experience anxiety, nervousness or depression at one level or another. Some days one might be down, which is normal enough, but it is when one cannot get back up again that one could be getting into trouble.

Post-natal depression is a big issue for women. Sometimes women feel there should not be such a thing as post-natal depression and that they should be full of joy with their new bundle of joy that is creating such love in their family. Perhaps they feel so bad that they feel so bad. It is important that people begin to realise that not feeling great is quite normal and that one can actually do something about it. They should not be afraid to do something about it and they should speak out about it.

We need to be more careful with one another. I hear people use the word “bullying” in a context that is a little facetious or in the wrong context. The word “bully” has very strong implications, whether it is used in the school yard or workplace. If the word is just thrown around and becomes commonplace, it does not receive the emphasis it should receive, and it is not recognised how wrong it is. It is not recognised that actions need to be taken to deal with bullying. I urge people to be careful about how they use the word “bullying”.

We should be leading by example in this Chamber. We should be careful with one another also. We have to mind our own mental health. I find dealing with social media very challenging. One should note the negativity, vilification and viciousness tossed at public representatives as if they were figures of stone, did not feel the same as everybody else and did not have a family the same as everybody else.

During the general election campaign, I gave up looking at social media altogether. It is hard to believe but my life was actually threatened on social media. I do not believe the person who threatened my life had any intention of carrying anything out but, at the same time, it was not very nice to believe there was a man somewhere in the county who felt the world would be a better place without me and that he would be prepared to do time if I were removed from the world. It is a horrible thing to take in as a public representative and a citizen who is free to move around. It is entirely wrong that this type of behaviour from adults is tolerated. We would not tolerate it in the playground from children. Adults are leading by example on social media. Children are on social media more often than they are probably in the playground. Their screen time is enormous. If they are looking at adults behaving in this fashion on social media, they will copy them.

Social media has no rules and involves entirely new technology. We are only learning about its potential and the positive and negative aspects of the Internet. If adults believe it is okay to call one another names on social media, what will be next? Will we start calling one another names on the television and in public debates or here in the Chamber? Is that where we are going? I feel very strongly that, as adults, we should be leading by example and show the children how to use social media in a way that is positive and constructive for them because it has so many benefits.

This brings me to the topic of children, young people and the challenges facing them. I believe there are children being bullied on social media in ways that we cannot even contemplate because we did not go through it ourselves.

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We experienced childhood differently and were able to manage in the schoolyard and so on. Social media is a whole new experience. If I had a teenage child, I am not certain if I would be able to manage or even be aware of what he or she was experiencing. In the past, the bully could be left behind in the schoolyard or playground. Nowadays, the bully can follow a child into the bedroom of his or her home, supposedly the safest place we can be. While parents need to be vigilant, society must also recognise that this issue needs to be addressed. It is of critical importance that services are provided to support young people and that adults lead by example.

Suicide was not widely discussed in society in the past. The issue touches everyone, whether through extended family, friends or the local community. Suicide is so devastating that people want to do everything in their power to prevent it from happening again. We must reach out to people who are experiencing difficulties in life and let them know there are people who can help them.

According to the Central Statistics Office, men accounted for 391 of the 487 people who took their lives in 2013. Men need to be able to talk to each other and should not be afraid to reach out. Family and friends must also be sensitive to and support them.

Connecting for Life is an excellent strategy. Launched in June 2015, it will be in force until 2020. Empowering communities and individuals to improve their mental health and well-being is a good thing. If the strategy is implemented over the 2015-2020 period, we will be in a stronger position to ensure people can live positive, healthy lives and will recognise that while not everything in life goes well, mechanisms are available to provide help in such circumstances. Connecting with other people, physical activity and alternative practices such as meditation can be positive and should be encouraged.

Funding for suicide prevention has been increased from €3.7 million in 2010 to the current level of €11.55 million. This is a significant increase which demonstrates how serious the Government and society is about helping people to overcome difficulties in order that they can have the positive and productive life to which we all aspire.

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