Eileen Flynn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach. I welcome to the Chamber Anna McBrearty, a 16-year-old young woman on a placement with me from County Donegal. Yesterday, I said to her to write up something that is really important to her and we will bring it up on the Order of Business. Anna wanted to talk about the publication of the annual report card by the Children's Rights Alliance around mental health. She expressed her disappointment in how the Government has failed young children with regard to mental health. While there has been some progress in poverty, school books and free school lunches, etc., Anna is very worried about children's mental health. This morning, we call for a debate on the report published by the Children's Rights Alliance around children's mental health. We are failing children.We cannot continue to do that. That is my ask this morning. It is for young people like Anna from Donegal and for young rural children dealing with the crisis. The Leader is from a rural county herself and she knows how difficult it is for children in rural communities. It is an important debate that needs to be had as soon as possible. It is about mental health in general, and especially the mental health of children and young people in this country.