John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In May, Wicklow Comhairle na nÓg conducted a survey to which over 1,000 young people from across the county responded, with 89% of them rating mental health as the number one issue for them. They cited the need for more conversations around mental health, improving services and reducing the stigma around the entire issue. This is a fascinating statistic coming directly from young people.

On Monday of this week, I attended the launch of Be Well Wicklow, which originally started in 2012 as Be Well Bray but has since expanded across the entire county. Be Well Wicklow involves a group of young people from the age of 13 upwards who have taken on the challenge of promoting positive mental health in communities across County Wicklow. Be Well Wicklow is based on three key elements: battling the stigma surrounding youth mental health, learning and sharing the skills that build resilience and ensuring young people's ideas and opinions are central to everything we do. Next week marks the group's annual Be Well week, which will be marked by a range of activities across the county aimed at raising awareness of youth mental health and promoting positive mental health. As part of Be Well week, these young people have designed and created conversation cards, one of which I have with me. The aim of these cards, which will be found in cafés across County Wicklow, is to encourage people to discuss their feelings.

I commend these young people and thank them for everything they have done to engage with this issue. They have shown year after year that they are determined to continue the conversation on mental health. We could all learn a great deal from the work they are doing by taking on the challenge of promoting mental health and thereby inspiring many people throughout the entire county. I would like to wish the members of the Be Well branch in Arklow well with their first Be Well week. A Be Well group is currently setting up in Kilcoole. There are other Be Well groups across the county. Young people are leading the way on mental health in Wicklow. They are setting the agenda. Our job is to recognise the work of these groups and to do everything in our power to support them. I hope groups like Be Well Wicklow will spring up across the entire State. I am delighted that this motion has been introduced by my party. I hope it will receive unanimous cross-party support. In the words of Be Well Wicklow, mental health is not the same as mental illness. Everybody has mental health, and we need to start promoting positive mental health.

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