Imelda Goldsboro (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister of State. As my colleagues said, it is great to see a Minister who increases a budget by so much year on year. I have experience working with the Minister of State on a number of projects in Tipperary South and have seen what she has delivered there in respect of the crisis house and Jigsaw to name a few organisations, as well as in the neighbouring counties.

We all know the challenges that are facing us on a daily basis and we know it does not make a difference what age you are as mental health does not come into that factor. I have a number of queries for the Minister of State. As public representatives, we can play our part and the main thing in society is connectivity and linkage. The Minister of State herself was in Ballingarry to open up the community café, which is something that we are very proud of, and as mentioned here already today, our main function and focus of opening the community café was to reduce loneliness. Loneliness is a problem for so many people. It opened when we were coming out of a pandemic when people were afraid to leave their homes. To see how that is growing and going from strength to strength, as well as the difference it is making in so many lives, is phenomenal.

As a parent of three teenagers myself, I am very concerned with the lack of knowledge that parents have themselves about what is going on online with cyberbullying and the harm and the effects it is causing their children. We need to create more awareness among parents through the Department of Education, relevant stakeholders and other agencies to let them know what is going on. If we were able to go in in a timely manner before these negative thoughts come in teenagers' minds, we could deter, stop and prevent some of the negativity that is happening. It can range from self-harm to suicidal tendencies. It can encompass sleep deprivation and can go into numerous eating disorders to name a few mental health difficulties.

I acknowledge the great work a lot of the voluntary groups are doing and the great work of Pieta House and the different bodies. However, I have a big issue. Last Monday night week, on the bank holiday Monday night, I had to contact somebody for a constituent and I was told to call back the following morning at 10.30 a.m. I could not turn around and tell that person to hang on until the following morning with their suicidal thoughts. I got off the phone and proceeded to ring in a favour. I told somebody I was in dire straits and asked if they could help. I was told it was a bank holiday Monday night. That is not good enough. That is not what somebody with suicidal tendencies needs to hear. Thankfully, we were able to come to a positive outcome.