Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

How we deal with mental health is really important. Is the Minister of State aware of the report that has emerged in Cork in the past two days of a 14-year-old boy with Asperger's and anxiety who wrote to Cork County Council explaining that he was stressed out because of his family's situation of being on the housing waiting list? Shortly afterwards, his mother received correspondence from Tusla wanting to talk to the family about this letter and the situation in the household. Tusla looked into the matter. The case is now closed because, having interviewed the mother and young fellow, Tusla says there is no case. The social worker has written to the council to say the family should be housed, putting the authority of Tusla behind that. We can leave aside the fact that if anything is to be investigated here, it is the Government's housing policy. I want assurances there will be no repeat of such a situation, whether in Cork County Council or any other council.

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