Frances Black (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State. This is a vital issue and none of us can be happy to be standing here again debating it. The point has been made endlessly in these Houses, and this report is further evidence, that our child and adolescent mental health services are falling well short of what is expected. We are not delivering anywhere near the standard expected by Irish people, and we are not delivering the targets recommended in A Vision for Change, which for so long has been the blueprint for mental health services in Ireland.

I do not say this to score points or point the finger. We are all committed to fixing this problem, and I know the Minister of State is passionate about it, but it is important to be honest. I want to commend the members of the Seanad Public Consultation Committee, the Chair, Senator Freeman and all parties involved, and none, who put so much work into making sure this report painted a clear picture of mental health service provision in Ireland, even if it is shocking and worrying. The honest, heartbreaking testimonies from parents stand out in particular. These are the real-life stories that illustrate starkly the human cost of our failure and they are as good a measure as any of how well our system is working.

A few minutes ago, just before I walked into the Chamber and while writing this speech, I received a phone call from a woman who was in awful distress. She had been going through the private system for treatment but when her money ran out she had to go into the public system. What she experienced was traumatic. When she came out from seeing somebody she felt suicidal. Her mother and sister were with her and they had to prevent her jumping into the local river. It was a horrendous experience. Whoever she saw that day is probably suffering from burnout. That person told her to go to her local doctor and get prescription tablets. That was all she was told to do. That is not on.

My worry is that all this work and progress will be fatally undermined if increased awareness and demand are not met with similar investment in services. We cannot in good conscience urge young people to speak up and seek help and then fail to ensure that someone is there to listen. The waiting times quoted in the document clearly illustrate the issue.

It has been said that since 2014, the demand for mental health services has gone up by over 30%. Thousands of children and young people are still waiting on treatment and many have been there for well over a year.

On the other side of the issue, I talk to people working in these services and it is also devastating for them. I know because I work in therapy. This sector is understaffed. Burnout is huge in this area. Service providers are simply not able to meet the demand. It is unfair on those seeking treatment and on those working in the front-line services. Again, I do not want to sound too critical, but we are in a crisis. I know the Minister wants to fix this, but the stories in this report and the many reports that have gone before it should shock and shame us. It is like homelessness in that we hear what is happening every day but I do not see the urgency that is required to deal with the issue. There has recently been talk of investment in a rainy day fund, the need for which I can fully appreciate. However, if a suicidal young person has to wait 18 months for help, surely it is already raining pretty heavily.

As I have limited time, I will not pore over the specific changes recommended, other than to thank Senator Coghlan, Senator Freeman and the other members of the committee for their work. They have outlined a long list of changes, some requiring increased financial investment and many focused on common-sense reform to our structures and procedures. I urge the Government to listen to them.

I will touch briefly on the link between alcohol harm and mental health. We have to talk about that at some point, particularly as it relates to young people and intergenerational trauma, which causes young people to suffer from mental health issues. They do not feel worthy. This is an important issue. Alcohol is a depressant, with more than 50% of suicides alcohol-related. I wanted to highlight that issue before I concluded.