Grace O'Sullivan (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The green ribbon signifies our opposition to the stigmatisation of mental health here in Ireland and acts as a reminder of the damage that such stigmas have done to those suffering from mental health issues in the past and in the present. One would think at this stage that this would be clear and would not be a controversial issue. During the current debate on the referendum to repeal the eighth amendment, we have seen some serious assaults on the concept of mental health and we have heard words like "vague mental health" and terms that simply contribute to the further stigmatisation of mental health.

On "Claire Byrne Live" and "The Week in Politics", it was insinuated by someone that he does not believe that mental health is health. That was Senator Mullen. I do not know what utopia he lives in but I live in a world where mental health is a real health issue to which we in this country, as Senator Devine just said, are not giving enough time . In this debate, the fact that something such as mental health should be lowered by people from this House is unacceptable. I ask for Senator Mullen to come into the House to explain to us why he said that he does not believe that mental health is health. I would like him to qualify that statement.