Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate that this is a sensitive matter and one about which the Deputy is very passionate. One of the challenges I have seen since coming to the Ministry is the myriad services which exist but which are not joined up. There is no up-to-date or real directory of services available. If I wake up with a mental health issue in west Cork or the Deputy wakes up with one in Wexford, the question is who to call. Does a person call Aware, ALONE, the Samaritans, Childline, Pieta House or Jigsaw? There is a variety of different services. Nobody in a perfect state of health, let alone with a mental health challenge, could figure out the myriad of services and what is most appropriate.

One of the first actions I asked of the HSE since starting in this job is to have one national helpline that would be as identifiable as the 999 number that we know. This should refer everybody who calls it to the most appropriate local service in the area suitable to their needs. Work is ongoing and I hope we can make significant progress on it before the year is out. It will be a very positive step towards remedying what the Deputy is highlighting.

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