Eileen Flynn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Traveller community is facing a mental health crisis. This is not the first time I have raised the issue in the House. The previous Minister of State with responsibility for mental health, former Deputy Jim Daly, recognised more than two years ago that there was a mental health crisis among the members of the Traveller community. The programme for Government promised a national Traveller mental health strategy. We are now two years into this Government's term. Without meaning any disrespect to the Minister of State, she is the wrong person for me to be talking to about this. I would have loved to have the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, here today. However, I will approach the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, with a question. Where is that strategy? Where are we now in that regard? This is a matter of life and death. The signs of a mental health crisis are all around us. It is devastating and heartbreaking. The suicide rate is six times higher for Traveller women and seven times higher for Traveller men compared with the general population.These studies were done in 2008. We need updated research on the rate of suicide within our community. Some 82% of Travellers have been affected by suicide. We all know someone who has died by suicide. More than half of Travellers reported that poor physical and mental health restricts their normal daily activities. These are not just statistics; these are people. As the Minister of State knows, the Traveller community experiences a great level of racism and exclusion. This has a dramatic impact on people's mental health, self-esteem, etc.

I stood with our community outside Leinster House on UN Human Rights Day in December. Once again we were making the one call - for action around Traveller mental health. The report of the Joint Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community called for the establishment of a national Traveller mental health strategy. That recommendation came from the National Traveller Mental Health Network, a collective of Traveller individuals and organisations across the island. The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, has met with the network and attended the launch of the national Traveller mental health submission. The recommendation is rooted in the Traveller experience and puts Traveller voices at the heart of the conversation around Traveller mental health. This is what we need. This is about our access. It is already included in the recommendations. We need a national Traveller mental health strategy; a ring-fenced budget for this critical work; and a national Traveller mental health steering group. We need the vital experienced voices of the Traveller community from the National Traveller Mental Health Network and we need a timeframe for the actions to make sure the work gets done.

In 2006, A Vision for Change called for culturally inclusive mental health services. Years later, Traveller mental health has gotten worse. I fear that including Traveller mental health in 2020's Sharing the Vision did not give the crisis the focus it needs to turn the tide. This is a national crisis within the Traveller community. The solution to the crisis cannot be an add-on. The Traveller community needs a tailored, stand-alone mental health strategy to support and resource its needs and we need to make sure it is implemented. We cannot keep waiting for action. We genuinely cannot. Lives are on hold here.