Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle and I very much appreciate being facilitated in contributing to the debate on this very important issue.

The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, sat over there when I spoke in the debate relating to the rolling over of emergency powers. I asked what mental health data was being considered and I was told that it would be published. Since then, I have ascertained that there are essentially two bodies collecting mental health data. The first of these is National Self-Harm Registry Ireland. We know that its work ceased during the first lockdown and that it recommenced collecting and collating data at the end of August, both prospectively and retrospectively. As of now, we know that we only have that data in respect of 45% of hospitals, or 12 of the 36 emergency departments in the country. I say to the Minister of State that this is simply not good enough.

I have been informed that public health doctors consider mental health data. Let us not worry that National Self-Harm Registry Ireland is not functioning because there is a HSE national clinical programme for collecting data on patients presenting to emergency departments following self-harm. That programme is run by the HSE and the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland. In a parliamentary question I tabled, I specifically asked for the information collected by this programme and I got nothing back. I presume that public money is being used to facilitate the collection of this data. I am assuming that there is no data because if there was, I know it would have been provided. Does the HSE consider it good enough that there is a programme for collecting data which does not collect this data? As already stated, the programme is jointly run by the HSE and the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland. We are told, and I believe, that psychiatry is data-led and that it is an empirical science. Does the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland think it is good enough to proceed without data? I am of the view that it is simply not good enough.

Finally, I want to flag the lack of information on suicide in Ireland. The reason that we do not have centralised or up-to-date data is because there are 37 coroners' districts but no centralised database. An Garda Síochána has to investigate causes of death if a deceased person has not been very recently attended to by a doctor. In 2000, a review carried out by the then Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform recommended that there be a centralised database for all coroners in Ireland. That report was produced 20 years ago this month. I call on the Minister of State to act in respect of the three matters to which I refer, namely, the provision of a centralised database, the position regarding National Self-Harm Registry Ireland and, above all, the national clinical programme which the HSE is running - by means of moneys provided by the taxpayer - in conjunction with the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland and which is not providing any data to anybody.

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