Dáil debates

Friday, 14 July 2017

Mental Health (Amendment) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages

 

12:30 pm

Photo of John BradyJohn Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this Bill and Sinn Féin will support it, although we will be bringing forward amendments. It is such an important issue that has been spoken about quite eloquently and passionately over the last few hours in the Chamber. There is not a family in the State that has not been touched by mental health or suicide, and I include my own family. In Wicklow we are blessed to have a group of dedicated people, and young people in particular, who have worked extensively on promoting positive mental health. They have done Trojan work in recent years. Be Well Bray and Be Well Wicklow promote positive mental health within our young people. The groups have worked with the local partnership in Bray where a sub-committee is dealing with mental health issues. A need has been identified for the Jigsaw service to be rolled out to cover County Wicklow. While I am aware that a lot of areas are applying pressure to have that service rolled out, Bray and Wicklow have been identified. The groups have worked extensively with Jigsaw, which has committed to rolling out the service in the Wicklow area. We are, unfortunately, stuck in a situation where all the agencies agree that it needs to happen but they are stuck without a premises. A vacant premises has been identified within the county, namely, an old courthouse in Bray. It is an ideal premises. The Courts Service has been approached but at the 12th hour, it has thrown red tape in the way. The old courthouse in question is no longer in use as a dedicated new courthouse was built in the Bray area. We have been told that a review is currently under way of the Courts Service in Wicklow and while it is ongoing the old premises will not be made available to see the roll-out of the Jigsaw programme. To be fair, the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, is across the issue and has been trying to help but the red tape is blocking the roll-out of this critically needed service.

I appeal to the Minister of State. Separate to the Bill, this is something practical, tangible and meaningful that can be done immediately. The commitment is there on the part of all the agencies in the context of seeing this rolled out, but red tape is stopping it. When it comes to mental health, red tape should not be an issue. It is badly needed and it must happen. It needed to happen 12 months ago if not 12 years ago, but the red tape is in the way. I ask that the red tape be cut. The premises has been lying empty and not been in use for seven or eight years at this stage and there was no notion of it every being brought back into use until Be Well, the partnership and Jigsaw made approaches. Then, all of a sudden, a review is initiated into possibly bringing the building back into use. It needs to happen. I ask the Minister of State to examine this and to get that premises in use so that Jigsaw is rolled out in Wicklow.

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