Alison Comyn (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I think we all agree that we are living in very turbulent, worrying and anxious times. It has never been more important to have somebody on the end of a phone to help us with our mental health and to listen. I speak today in favour of the organisation Save Our Sons and Daughters, SOSAD, a suicide prevention helpline. Unfortunately, yesterday it had to cut its messaging service which costs €4,000 per month but has saved countless lives. SOSAD has 187 volunteers and was started in my home town of Drogheda almost 20 years ago by Peter Moroney who lost his son Simon to suicide. It now has six offices in the north east, in Navan, Cavan, Dundalk, Monaghan, Drogheda and Laois, saving thousands of lives. It is subject to applying for a service level agreement, SLA, but it needs interim funding to keep it going in that time. Its total cost is €59,000 per month, which is not very much when compared with some other major charities and suicide prevention helplines. I am asking for the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, to come to the House to debate the status of the SOSAD application for funding and how we can assist it. While the messaging service may have gone, the helpline is still available on 1800-901999 to anybody who needs to talk.