I support the motion. It is a fact that emergency departments across the country are overburdened. In Mayo, there are significant delays in waiting times and so on. For individuals suffering from mental health difficulties or suicidal ideation, I do not believe an emergency department is appropriate or the best place. Every year, 51,000 people access mental health services for the first time through an emergency department. That is an extraordinary figure. It is extraordinary for the individuals who have to go into the emergency departments, but equally for the healthcare professionals. It is crucial there is a dedicated room, with dedicated professionals available on a 24-hour basis, within emergency departments. It can be done. It is a practical solution to a major crisis. Recently, a constituent of mine who was suffering from addiction attended an emergency department. The response was simply inadequate in terms of being able to provide the level of care that was needed. There were significant gaps in care and the detox programme. I submitted a number of parliamentary questions to the Minister of State on this. I was trying to identify gaps and variations in delivery of addiction services and issues with female-only spaces, and the level of response was simply inadequate. I intend to submit questions again to the Minister of State and to write to her on this issue because mental health and addiction services are intrinsically linked. One question I put to the Minister of State was on the level of demand. It is extraordinary that this does not seem to be captured by the Department. These are people who are suffering immensely and the way in which we are dealing with them is unacceptable. The Department's capture and management of the data also need to be looked at. I support the motion and I look forward, hopefully, to its implementation.

Sentiment score: -0.06