Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minster of State. I will certainly welcome her to Newbridge with open arms to visit HOPE(D) and the Kildare Youth Theatre, KYT, which is another community group that does a great deal of work on positive mental health through the arts and creativity. The Minster of State mentioned the HSE's Connecting for Life strategy, which is important. It states that the rate of youth suicide in Ireland being among the highest in the EU, which is quite frightening. County Kildare has the highest rate in Leinster and it is higher than the national average. I am delighted for the people of counties Tipperary and Wicklow that they have secured Jigsaw centres. However, in previous conversations I have had with the HSE, I understood that County Kildare would have been high on the list. I acknowledge the Minster of State is going to push for this in the budget and the HSE plan. I will add my voice to the calls on the Ministers for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform. The Minster of State also mentioned the possibility of looking for a building. I have spent some time on that and have identified a few buildings in Newbridge because I appreciate that can sometimes be the biggest problem. I thank the Minster of State and will continue to liaise with her on this.