Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise the issue of mental health services, particularly in the north west. I refer to the issue of NGOs that provide counselling services. In my area there is an organisation called North West STOP. There are many other such organisations around the country and they cannot get any funding from Government at all unless they are national organisations, yet many of the national organisations are referring clients to them. Something needs to be done, and Government needs to make a commitment to provide some way to fund them. North West STOP is one example. It has been in existence for more than ten years and has done tremendous work to assist families and people who have suffered the consequences of suicide. It has worked well to prevent suicide and has saved many lives. However, in the past 15 years, it has received a total of €800 to buy a laptop. That is a scandal, and I ask Government to come up with a solution to this. These organisations, although they may not be national organisations, do tremendous work, and some mechanism of support needs to be put in place for them.

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