Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

If we were not discussing the utterly tragic and terrible death of Ashling Murphy this week and the implications it has for how our society treats women, we would be discussing another tragic death of a 17-year-old man who took his own life after leaving the care of a hospital and who was on the radar of Tusla. That speaks to the terrible and consistent failure to provide adequate mental health services and supports for young people.

I have asked at the Business Committee that the Government would facilitate as a matter of urgency a debate on youth mental health services which are, quite frankly, a scandal. There are cases I am dealing with at the moment where the mothers of children are similarly afraid that their children's lives are in danger because of the lack of supports being provided for them. This is a matter of urgency and I would like a commitment from the Government that it will facilitate an urgent debate on youth mental health services.

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