Joanna Byrne (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for her response. It was very heartfelt. I believe she understands the sentiment and the urgency of this. The stark reality is that this organisation is in a very vulnerable position. Its closure would be a devastating loss to thousands of people. What is more, I do not believe the HSE and other service providers would be able to fill that gap in its absence in the long term and certainly not in the short term.

Mental health issues and suicide are so prevalent in our society that most people in any room at any given time have been impacted by it in some way, either themselves or through their nearest and dearest. It is, without a doubt, a dark cloud hanging over us and it is never too far away. Lives lost through suicide are probably one form of death that is preventable. It is organisations like SOSAD that play a significant part in preventing many tragic losses. The question is whether these lives are worth saving. If they are, then that intervention is needed now. It is my understanding that the interim funding discussed by the Minister of State and SOSAD was immediate stopgap funding until the compliance and governance procedures that the Minister of State outlined could be met with the HSE. SOSAD is doing that. The downfall seems to be this stopgap funding.

I urge the Minister of State to at least engage in dialogue with SOSAD immediately, advise it on what steps can be taken next and seek out, through her colleagues and counterparts, something to keep its doors open. I have got the commitment from SOSAD and I can guarantee her that the requirements on compliance and governance will be met. All procedures will be thorough and due process will be followed. However, SOSAD will not have time to do that if we cannot keep the doors open, and lives will be lost.

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