James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will raise the matters of mental health and respite care. Mental health specialists are confirming an increase in the number of people presenting with depression, anxiety, self-harm and other mental illnesses. I have been warning for some time now in this Chamber the impact of the lockdown on people's daily routines, not being able to see loved ones and not being able to grieve in a humane way, as well as the loss of jobs and businesses and the effects on front-line workers of witnessing first-hand the many distressing events of the past couple of months. These are all taking their toll on people, from the very young to the very old.

Family resource centres are reporting a significant increase in demand for parent and family supports for counselling and mental health services. The latest Central Statistics Office data indicate young adults feel more downhearted, depressed and anxious, while risky behaviour is increasing. The number of people rating overall life satisfaction as "high" fell to just 12.2%. We do not need statistics to tell us what everyone is seeing every day. People are struggling and for some that struggle is getting more exhausting. The fourth wave of a pandemic is the mental health wave and that is rapidly turning into a tsunami that is already breaking on the shores of this country.

I welcome the intention to publish the refreshed A Vision for Change but that is a ten-year plan. We need to see a cross-departmental mental health task force up and running straight away. We have one for tourism but not mental health. Will that task force be established and, if so, when?

On the issue of respite, I would like to know the reason we have a timeframe for the opening of pubs and restaurants but not respite services. There has not been even an indication yet of when that will happen. Carers are exhausted.

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