Emer Currie (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I want to acknowledge the amazing work of our front-line staff in our mental health services, and all the organisations supporting people at the moment. They are thinking outside of the box and pivoting in how they connect with groups, such as school classes and sports teams. In Dublin 15, we are blessed with a network of community centres. In places like Huntstown and Castleknock, when people could not go to the community, the community came to them and looked after our most vulnerable. I am very proud of the response that our local communities led through the lockdowns.

There is no doubt that there is much work to do when it comes to our mental health. I know that the Minister of State is committed to this work. We talk about how Covid has exacerbated vulnerabilities across sectors. It has also exacerbated problems for people. People are under acute pressure at the moment, but the effects of Covid on our society could last for years. I agree with Senator Black that mental health needs to play a key role in our Covid recovery.

I am concerned for older people who are locked away in their homes for months on end. People are bereaved and have been unable to attend funerals for their children. Parents of children with special needs have had their routines turned upside down. Children and young adults have missed social and developmental milestones. Business owners are under stress. Victims of domestic violence are affected, as are women who are bearing the brunt of pandemic parenting, homeschooling and domestic duties. Expectant and new parents are being left isolated at a vulnerable time. Covid sufferers and front-line workers are affected. The list goes on.

The Psychological Society of Ireland conducted research early in the pandemic which highlighted widespread distress among the general population in several counties, with specific reports of incidences of depression, anxiety, PTSD, reductions in life and personal relationship satisfaction and increased levels of loneliness. Interestingly, internationally and in Ireland, the age group that is impacted most by loneliness is that of those aged 18 to 34. While there are pockets of positivity, where there are acute problems, they are running very deeply.

Access to services in a community setting has never been more important. It is the foundation of mental health access, laddering up through primary, specialist and acute care. I fundamentally believe that we need more public access to talking therapies. The increase in online access to services and the introduction of the national crisis textline have been great, but the Minister of State and I both know that we need more, and we need more staff. The budget for mental health services is over €1 billion and promises an increase in mental health community teams, CAMHS, assistant psychologists and psychologists in primary care and in Jigsaw services. However, targets have been set before, and we are still behind on them.I note, from the Delivering Specialist Mental Health Services report of 2019, that we went from 69% of new development posts being filled in 2017 to 17% in 2018 and 32% in 2019, while funding for specialist community teams dropped too. The Psychological Society of Ireland, PSI, also conducted a survey which showed 92% of health and social care professionals said the current agency panel system does not work well as a method of recruitment. Where is the Minister of State with that and is Covid affecting the roadmap?

I am on the board of the charity Social Anxiety Ireland. It is a fantastic organisation, which needs to be brought into primary care. Social anxiety is the biggest anxiety disorder in the world, yet most people have never really heard of it or understand it. As a charity, Social Anxiety Ireland exists hand to mouth. If the Minister of State could see the impact that its 12-week group therapy programme makes, she would be amazed. I will speak to the Minister of State about that separately as my time is up.