Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We know that mental health was in crisis pre-Covid. We know also the crisis has escalated throughout Covid, but what does this mean? It means people are suffering and experiencing great trauma and loss, huge change and anxiety, financial strain and pressure, and home insecurity. The Government's response to mental health has fallen short for many years. I note the Mental Health Commission told the Oireachtas Special Committee on Covid-19 Response that Ireland's mental health system is not fit for purpose, it is out of date and investment in it and the community is needed. On behalf of my constituents in County Clare, I am asking if the Government will take stock now. Will it respond to the needs of its people? They hope so.

There is still no State-wide provision of 24-7 crisis mental health care at community level. This is a significant failure and the issue on which I want to focus today. I want to stand up for the many in County Clare who have made great attempts at reaching out for help, especially the constituents who live in rural and isolated areas. Unfortunately, until we have 24-7 crisis mental health care in the community, we run the risk of our people experiencing further trauma and negativity, with some who have reached out to me describing it as a complete rejection. In their experience, to ask for help when in distress is an incredibly difficult step to take. This needs to be reflected on by those in power. Unless you have the personal experience, there is no appreciation of that overwhelming feeling when you knock on a door and it goes unanswered. That is a feeling that you just do not exist.

This week I held a discussion via Zoom with community and service representatives within County Clare, who spoke about the high levels of demand on the ground and the rise in the number of people reaching out for support for the first time. I commend them on the great work they have been doing. The reality is people are losing loved ones, jobs, relationships, cars and homes and they are gripped with fear.

Sinn Féin has called for the establishment of a 24-7 care public crisis de-escalation multi-agency triage team ambulance service. People do not control how and when mental health crisis will impact them. We call on all Deputies to support this motion and thus send out the message to our people who need it most that they are heard, their needs are important and politics will no longer fail them.

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