Every year, more than 50,000 people go to the emergency departments in Ireland because they are in mental health crisis. These are people who are scared, overwhelmed and often at the lowest point in their lives. What happens when they arrive? They are put into busy, noisy accident and emergency departments. They sit for hours on hard chairs or trolleys, with some left in corridors. Some have no private space to talk and others leave before being seen because it is just too much. The Mental Health Commission has clearly stated that international best practice is not available in most of our emergency departments. Hospitals do not even have proper rooms to access people in crisis. That is shocking in 2026. Families in Meath regularly have to travel to Drogheda with a loved one in crisis, only to wait hours in emergency departments that are already under pressure. Parents contact us about teenagers in distress being left sitting in waiting rooms all night. Gardaí are left minding people in crisis because there is nowhere else for them to go. This is a failure of planning and a failure of delivery by Government. We were promised proper mental health emergency facilities under Sharing the Vision but instead we have delays, under-staffing and people falling through the cracks. Mental health emergencies should be treated like any other emergency. If someone comes in with chest pain, he or she is seen quickly in the right setting but if someone comes in suicidal, he or she is often left waiting in chaos. This motion is about simple and practical changes. We need dedicated mental health emergency rooms in Meath with proper staffing. We also need crisis teams in the community and better services for children and young people. People dealing with mental health crises do not need noise, lights and crowds. They need calm, privacy and trained professionals. At their worst moment, the system should not make things harder and they should not be turned away but right now in Meath and across the State, that is exactly what is happening and the Government must take responsibility for that.

Sentiment score: -0.30