Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In June 2022, I stood in solidarity with Traveller groups outside the Dáil as they called for a national action plan for Traveller mental health.

Today, I stood with them again. Some 11% of all Travellers will die by suicide. This is shocking. It is over seven times more than the general population. While we can all get lost in statistics, each one of these is a man, a woman or a child with hopes, dreams and ambitions. Last week, we all watched the RTÉ documentary that showed the really upsetting and deeply personal story of 12-year-old Patrick McDonagh, who died by suicide, and the broader challenges faced by the Traveller community. It showed how much life and potential young Patrick had, and the impact that had on his family. It was absolutely heartbreaking. Today, I met Patrick's parents, Michelle and Pat, outside the Dáil. They had one ask, which is for the Government to finally commit to a fully resourced national action plan on mental health.

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