Rose Conway Walsh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I find Fianna Fáil's declarations that it is here to save us all eternally amusing. It is here to save us from Fine Gael and ourselves. They declare how they will fix the housing crisis. It is worth taking 30 seconds to look at Fianna Fáil's record in housing. Fianna Fáil caused the collapse because of its collaboration and closeness with the banks, and the light regulation, not only for banks but for the construction industry too. In the 14 years under Fianna Fáil, the social housing waiting list increased by 258%. It is a proud record indeed. Fianna Fáil's average build of social houses was 5,523 a year and, by 2011, the council waiting list was 98,318 and there were 113,000 people on the rental accommodation scheme, RAS. It followed a pattern of privatising the rental sector. We saw that again in yesterday's budget with the tax breaks for landlords, no taxing for vulture funds and so on. For Fianna Fáil to tell us all that it will come along to fix the housing crisis is incredible. There is much more I could say about it.

Today is World Mental Health Day, which should focus on the services and supports that we provide for citizens who experience mental health difficulties. The theme for today is young people and mental health in a changing world. At the end of last year, the national youth mental health task force published its report on youth mental health. It would be fitting for the Leader to give an update on the implementation of that report. One aspect of the report will be addressed directly this evening by the legislation being brought forward by Sinn Féin. Our capacity to consent to mental health treatment deals directly with recommendation 9 of that report. It would be symbolic for this House to progress this important work on this World Mental Health Day dedicated to young people. Mental health services are in a dire crisis, not only this year and last year but for decades. Some €84 million was announced yesterday but we know that when we dig down through those figures, even initially, that will be €55 million because much of that has already been taken up by needed pay increases. There is dire urgency to reform our mental health sector. Some €55 million will not do that. We need a full debate again here and we need continual debates about mental health in this House and how we can work together to solve the crisis in mental health.