Denis Landy (Labour) | Oireachtas source

On this first full sitting day I wish the Cathaoirleach well for his term. I also wish the Leader and the other Members who have been elected leaders and Whips well.

I will start today as I mean to go on, as I did in the previous Seanad. A total of 43 Members of this House have been elected by councillors and it is important that we look after the welfare of those councillors. I listened to some of the contributions in which the issue of mental health and well-being was raised. There was a tragic incident during the Seanad election campaign in which a councillor took his own life. During that campaign I met scores of councillors suffering from stress and anxiety. They are unable to handle the case work they have been given, they do not know where or whom they should guide people to, and they have nobody to whom they can turn to look after their mental well-being. I have checked this matter out with various local authorities. There are welfare officers in each local authority in the country but, believe it or not, they are not available to councillors. This must be addressed, and I hope it will be done quickly during this term. It requires a little common sense and the intervention of the Minister. It probably requires a special service to be put in place.

I sat in the kitchen of a councillor's home for two hours - I will not say where in the country it is located - during which time he explained the cases he was dealing with. They included people who are facing bankruptcy, people who are being put out of their homes and people who had marriage difficulties. He asked me how he was equipped to deal with these issues. He said he was not, and that he was not even equipped to listen properly. Gone are the days when a county councillor attended a meeting once or twice a month and dealt with a few housing issues and perhaps some medical card issues. The workload of councillors has increased dramatically as a result of what has happened in this country. I commend my colleagues, Senators Craughwell and Boyhan, on tabling the motion, and I will propose an amendment to it relating to terms and conditions.

This is about well-being. This week is men's health week, and this issue has been shoved under the carpet. Nobody wants to talk about it, and some people are embarrassed about it. We normally take action after an event has happened. In this case, unfortunately, the event has happened. Obviously, I will not say where, as we all know what happened. It is the result of what I have just mentioned. On the first day the Minister comes to the House to discuss local government, he should address this issue.