Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy English, for the reply. As I said, the purpose of this Topical Issue matter is to flag what is not happening but should be happening. I will give the perfect example. A document I have to hand states that the Defence Forces, through the PSS, engage in extensive suicide awareness and education programmes for all members of the Defence Forces and that these programmes include an information guide on mental health and well-being in the Defence Forces. The response to that is posters are stuck up around the barracks but are never permanent. The programmes also include issuing Defence Forces guidelines on suicide. The response to that is that it is done rarely during initial training and members must attend but thereafter, it is not a requirement due to the stigma of mental health. As for running courses on suicide and self-harm, the response is the same as above. In respect of providing a mental health fitness programme within the Defence Forces, members are allowed to participate in training because they must train if they want to pass their mandatory annual test. On the provision of wellness recovery action plan, WRAP, training, members say they have never heard of it. As for the programmes in which skills training on risk management, STORM, and risk assessment and suicidal self-harm mitigation training for overseas units are conducted, they have been classed as a box-ticking exercise undertaken by an officer. On the provision of applied suicide intervention skills training, ASIST, in conjunction with the HSE, the response was they have never heard of it nor have they heard of the HSE coming to any barracks. The perception in this regard is that this training may be for senior rank staff only. As for conducting safeTALK training, the response from members was that this is done on recruitment and in initial training. In respect of the provision of critical incident stress management training and the issuing of a booklet entitled Defence Forces Suicide and Self-Harm Prevention, it is acknowledged that this is correct but that it is being handed out like a menu. These are the programmes the Defence Forces state they provide. I reiterate this is not an attack on the Minister of State, Deputy Kehoe, because a lot of people are not being informed.

I hope that I have painted a clear picture of the grave situation within our Defence Forces. Despite the claim that the Defence Forces are doing everything right, the witnesses' testimonies I have outlined make clear that they are at a disadvantage because members of the Defence Forces are afraid to use many of these services. This is because they fear they will be downgraded straight away, will never get an opportunity for promotion or participation on courses or overseas duties and may face being forced out and left feeling hopeless. This is the general feeling among many serving and former members. I tabled this matter because I believe the members of our Defence Forces should be respected for the job they do. I believe they are being victimised when it comes to speaking out and admitting they are severely stressed at times. This issue needs to be re-examined.

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