Catherine Noone (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I was shocked to read that 98,200 penalty points have been issued to motorists using their mobile telephones at the wheel this year alone. This stark statistic shows that people very much use their mobile telephones while in command of a vehicle. An AA survey found that 50% of motorists admitted to making calls while driving and that 40% stated they have sent texts. While nobody professes to be perfect on all fronts, and there will be occasions when one must use one's telephone, these statistics are startling. I welcome the news that the Government has accepted the recommendations of the Oireachtas joint committee in this regard.

I join my colleagues in acknowledging World Mental Health Day. It is very important that we continue to raise in the House the serious issue of suicide and mental health. I concur with the suggestions of Senators Mullins and Conway. In difficult times such as those in which we live mental health issues come much more to the fore and those who have never suffered from depression or other mental illnesses do not realise they are just as bad as, if not worse than, many physical illnesses, although they do not appear to be to the world at large. Those living with depression find it difficult to function. My colleagues suggested we dedicate an afternoon to discussing the issue and coming up with real solutions as to how we can stamp out suicide and remove taboos and raise awareness of how difficult it is to function in today's world with mental illness.