Shane Cassells (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Several weeks ago, my colleagues in the Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party and I met the eminent Dr. Harry Barry who, as an expert on mental health, gave us a detailed presentation on the anxiety and emotional distress faced by young people at this time in our country. This has been exacerbated because of Covid-19. It was frightening to hear him speak, in particular about the rise of emotional distress among young people in our country, the challenges they face and the realisation that much more needs to be done. The very culture of how we deal with this is also an issue. Considering we are such a nation of talkers, it is not spoken about half enough. Dr. Barry spoke extensively about the need for a wider conversation about self-care, whereby we look after ourselves in our own lives, emotional resilience and how to manage our anxiety. He also spoke about the range of anxieties faced by young people, from acute anxiety to social anxiety to general anxiety. All of these have a very damaging impact on people's lives.

None of these issues gets discussed half enough, but when issues boil down to a point of self-harm, we end up speaking extensively about the need for State intervention and more support. Last Sunday morning, I met a woman in Blackwater Park in Navan who spoke to me about the battle she had when she was trying to get mental health support for her daughter. She had to go round the houses for people to take the issue in hand.

At present, there is no end to the amount of money being spent in this sphere. I pay tribute to the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, in this respect. We need to see a change in attitude in tandem. The most effective way to help this process is through dialogue and conversations in our schools, and not having a sense that speaking about these issues is a sign of weakness, particularly among young boys and, indeed, men. Men's mental health is simply not spoken about enough. I have paid tribute in the House previously to Rory O'Connor of Rory's Storiesfame, who has been a huge advocate for positive mental health action in this country.

At the same meeting with Dr. Harry Barry, the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, who has responsibility in this area, addressed the range of actions being taken by the Department. I would like to see the Minister of State come to the Chamber so these issues can be discussed and thrashed out in full. In conjunction with the Minister, Deputy Foley, we can discuss how a very positive set of actions in school settings could be pushed, whether in classrooms or schoolyards, so those who are suffering with anxiety and emotional distress as a result of everything that is happening will know there is somewhere, and someone to whom, they can turn.