Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Anybody who is raising this issue, whether on the ground in the community or in this House, is doing so because he or she wants to ensure that the community continues to enjoy the services it rightly deserves. It is unfortunate to use the word "unhelpful" and suggest that those of us who are raising it are doing so for reasons other than a desire to ensure our community has those services. The people on the front line and the families who are accessing Jigsaw services have asked us to raise this matter. If there is confusion, it lies in the Minister of State's own answer. He has not provided any clarity as to whether there will still be a Jigsaw office and staff based in the Clondalkin, Lucan, Newcastle and Palmerstown area after 2020. If there is not, there will be a reduction in service for people in that area. The Minister of State should not listen to me, but rather the people who use these services.

Susan Doyle tragically lost her 17 year old son, Robert Hoey, in 2011 to suicide. She went on to campaign for services, including Jigsaw, to be brought to north Clondalkin, where she lives. She is trained as and works as a suicide intervention and prevention officer. She is a woman with considerable experience. She said:

If people are not available in the community who are trained up people's lives are going to be lost again by suicide and people are going to suffer again because the help is not there in the area. It is vital that those services are kept in the area.

Tallaght is a considerable distance away, particularly for people who are experiencing significant mental health issues. Staff based in Tallaght will not be available to the same extent as the staff based permanently in the Jigsaw premises in Moorefield in north Clondalkin. Will the Minister of State give a commitment that Jigsaw will continue to have a permanent base in the Clondalkin area, rather than provide an outreach service from Tallaght? If he cannot give that commitment, will he meet a cross-party delegation of Deputies from the constituency to work with us to ensure the services our community so desperately needs will remain in it in order that young people's lives will not be tragically lost because of a decision to move services to Tallagh which is some distance away?

See this speech in context