Keith Swanick (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In July and August my office sent out more than 940 confidential mental health questionnaires to all local authority members throughout the country, from all parties and none. This was the first comprehensive anonymous mental health questionnaire to be circulated to councillors. To tell the truth, the findings, which I presented at an AILG conference in Gorey recently, were stark and startling. Some 79% of councillors said their role as a public representative impinges on their personal life, 82% said their responsibilities had increased in recent years, 47% experienced low mood and, worryingly, 5% expressed thoughts of self-harm. This is a very serious and real issue. We forwarded the results to the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, and the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Deputy Coveney. Mental health is a big issue. We lost one of our councillor colleagues earlier in the year. It is important that we have the Minister to the House to discuss and debate this further. I ask the Acting Leader to invite him in as soon as possible.