Niall Blaney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise the issue of mental health.During the whole debate about Covid-19 over most of the last year, there has been a great deal of acknowledgement of the impact Covid would have and is having on our nation's mental health. Many speakers in this House, the Lower House and the Government have alluded to it. It is time we started having a proper wider debate on mental health needs because mental health services have suffered with lockdown and a tsunami of demand for such services is about to hit the nation; it is simmering. I ask the Leader to invite either the Minister for Health or the Minister of State with responsibility for mental health to the House in order that we can have a proper debate. Services will not be able to cope.

Given that it looks as though we will have a mass of the population vaccinated by the end of the year and things are starting to show a little hope, it is time the dial was moved somewhat towards mental health. Let us have a proper examination of this issue and get proper constraints and measures in place to deal with the most vulnerable in our society and those badly in need of it as a result of this Covid-19 pandemic.