Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Since I was first elected in 2016, I have spoken on the issue of mental health countless number of times. Unfortunately, my own city of Limerick has the highest number of suicides. Limerick is almost always ranked the highest in the State in terms of suicides, and that has not changed in recent years. The Covid crisis has exacerbated the situation. I met recently with representatives from a number of services and with whom I speak almost daily. They might be dealing with different aspects of the mental health crisis, but they all say that the numbers presenting are increasing, waiting lists are getting longer and, while they are doing their best, they are overwhelmed. We need urgent intervention. It is a crisis. In Limerick, suicide can be very public. The trauma of the helicopter flying over the city while a search for a loved one is under way is not just traumatic for the family but for the community as a whole. It is very upsetting. As I mentioned, local services are stretched and under pressure, and Covid has exacerbated the situation.

In the mid-west, the waiting list for psychological services for adults was 505. There are also 243 children between the ages of five and seven who have been waiting for services for more than a year. That is scandalous and it needs to be addressed. We need a particular intervention in that regard. If anything comes out of today's debate, I hope it will be the establishment of a de-escalation team in Limerick to deal with the emergency. We are failing people. I commend the local services in Limerick, including Limerick Suicide Watch and Limerick Treaty Suicide Prevention, who patrol the bridges and city at night-time.

I have been out with the people involved and I told them that they are the last defence where the services have failed and, unfortunately, people may take their own lives. I do not want to be here again next year or the year after talking about the same issue. My own city, as I said, is particularly affected, and it the highest number of suicides. I appeal to the Minister of State, if she is looking at de-escalation teams, to look at the situation in Limerick as soon as she can and to open the services there.

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