Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the fact that it has just been announced that the leaving certificate results will be available on Friday, 2 September. While it is late and there is no point in saying otherwise, at least the students now have a date. As the leaving certificate examinations draw to a conclusion, I wish all the young people involved a very enjoyable summer. They well deserve it and have it well earned.

Unfortunately and sadly, there have been three suicides of young people in the Traveller community in recent days. One involved a child of nine in the city of Dublin. Therefore, I support the call by the Traveller groups for a dedicated mental health strategy for the Traveller community. Mental illness is a problem in this country anyway. I am aware that much work is being done and that a lot more needs to be done; however, with the prevalence of mental health issues within the Traveller community, it is appropriate at this stage to have a dedicated mental health strategy involving all the stakeholders. It should be properly and effectively funded.

Again, I request a dedicated debate in the House on the issue of long Covid. A long Covid clinic is to be opened in due course. It should be open already. This is a big issue. Unfortunately, a percentage of our population are now suffering greatly as a result of long Covid. I do not believe they are getting the intervention they need to address the deteriorating health circumstances related to long Covid. Unfortunately, as the narrative moves away from Covid and it is not dominating the headlines like it used to, although it still exists in society, I do not want the people who have long Covid to be forgotten about. Unfortunately, it might not be possible to have the debate this side of the summer; however, certainly in September, we need to have the Minister of Health in here to engage in a detailed way on this issue.