Chris Andrews (Dublin Bay South, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This is an opportunity to speak about mental health, which is important to us all. We were in a mental health crisis pre-Covid and now this crisis has evolved into a mental health emergency. Jigsaw, an organisation which we all agree carries out amazing work on mental health among young people, has seen the realities of this at first hand. It has experienced a 42% increase in demand for services. It is well documented that participation in sport is beneficial for our mental health and overall well-being. There is a definite link between the positive benefits of physical activity and mental health. We need to explore and take a more in-depth approach to linking sport with tackling mental health.

Every week, thousands of children across Ireland go to their local sports grounds for matches and training. Many of them will be active in their local clubs up to their late teens and beyond. They will develop strong connections and friendships with fellow players, coaches and volunteers. As a previous speaker said, it is about finding their tribe and young people very often do that through sport. I know sport is not for everyone but for those for whom it is, it is very important. Coaches and volunteers are in a prime position to promote a positive culture of well-being among teammates in their club. We need to provide them with the tools and resources to promote this positive culture of well-being and positive mental health. We also need to provide them with the supports and know-how to be able to identify people who are experiencing difficulty with their mental health.

Under Sport Ireland, sporting organisations develop their own approach to well-being in sport, and some of these approaches are more in-depth than others. Over the years, the GAA has taken a proactive role in developing a strong culture of well-being in the organisation and should be commended on that. Now is the time to develop a uniform approach to well-being and mental health across all sporting organisations under Sport Ireland. Sports clubs are unique in that they are in a position to intervene early when a member is feeling unwell or having difficulties. They are on the front line and we need to resource them.

Last year, Brian Murphy, a kind and generous young man who was a member of St. Patrick's Rowing Club in Ringsend, died by suicide. If sports clubs and organisations took a uniform approach and had structures and resources to identify people with mental health issues, I am certain there would be fewer people feeling as Brian Murphy did.

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