Máire Devine (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)

Deputy Daly and I do not often agree. In fact, we very rarely agree, but I say "Well done". He articulated the concerns for this generation - our new generation - going forward with the explosion of AI and social media and all that stuff that is really scary. It is good, but most of it is scary for young minds and bodies. We really need to grab hold of it. I ask the Minister of State to push this issue if we can. I am not sure what Department it sits in, but it involves mental health and communications and requires legislation. We need to grab control of it now because it is lashing ahead of us and we are way behind. It is the young people who are so proficient at it. Deputy Daly has articulated that many of them are now on antidepressants. They are looking at social media - girls are in particular - and at the slagging going on there about their image, what they say, what they do and the competition. Then we have AI coming into the mix and making reality unreal. We have to tackle that because our next generation - our next leaders - will be reliant not on one another, but on whatever comes up on their phones.

I also want to take the opportunity to talk about Loreto Centre Crumlin counselling. The Minister of State was kind enough to accept and take an email from me this morning. The centre does vital work in the Crumlin area. I have been out to visit it and I have engaged with it several times. Deputy Ó Snodaigh and I did a site visit there. The people there are volunteers, along with one paid worker. The nuns in Loreto College own the building and were subsidising the centre with the provision of the building, the cost of the heating and the lighting and through financial support. The centre has provided over 3,000 hours of counselling and 350 individuals have been helped. The waiting lists are at six weeks, but this is better than other much longer waiting lists. I do not necessarily want to be downhearted in relation to the HSE's capacity, but it is poor for the number of people in life-challenging situations and difficulties. The centre sees people in the constituency from all incomes and none. It is a mix of everybody in the Dublin 12 area. There is a meeting tomorrow between Mr. Kevin Brady and Mr. Brian Cummins and two Loreto counselling board members, and the request is for €100,000. It is not a lot for what the centre does and I think we need to reward that volunteerism. The money would just be to cover the cost of running the place, upgrading fire exits and things like that.

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