Joan Freeman (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I offer my sincere condolences to the family of John Pender on his tragic death. This man was killed in Fuengirola last Friday. He was the co-founder and husband of Caroline McGuigan, of that wonderful charity, Suicide or Survive, SOS. I just do not know how Caroline is going to face the coming months and years ahead because this man was her rock and worked with her every step of the way in this wonderful charity.

I wish to direct three issues to the Leader. I ask the Leader to increase the number of Private Members' slots. There are ten people in my group. It is eight months since I have been able to bring anything to the Chamber. I know the Leader was going to look at the issue. I am asking him to look into it further so that we can all have an opportunity to bring legislation through the Seanad.

I am just hot off the press after meeting a young woman who has dealt with a number of issues in the past few months and in the past few years. She is from the Defence Forces. She worked for Ireland for 16 years and put herself both physically and mentally in situations of trauma. She is now suffering from complex post traumatic stress disorder, PTSD. She has been told that there is nowhere in Ireland where she can get treatment except St. Patrick's University Hospital, a private hospital, where one needs medical insurance. She has been abandoned by the HSE, even though it could support her in St. Patrick's University Hospital by paying for a bed. I ask the Leader to arrange a debate on hospital services, because she was in a psychiatric hospital where patients were not changed or showered for weeks at a time. The only reason that this patient was able to look after her physical self was because she refused to have medication that would make her zombie like. I would like to have a debate in this Chamber with the other Members of the Oireachtas who constantly complain about the mental health services and yet nothing is being done about the matter. Let us have a debate about it. Instead of having a few words on the matter every now and then, let us have a proper debate.

Second, I call for a debate on the way the members of the Defence Forces are treated. There is nothing there for them when they are traumatised and leave their duty with the Defence Forces. What is wrong? We expect the members of the Defence Forces to safeguard our country and yet we cannot look after them when they need help.