Local Dublin Mid-West TD Mark Ward has said that the recent announcement of an additional €1 million for mental health support does not go far enough. Deputy Ward has seen funding for mental health and addiction services in his own area in Dublin Mid-West decimated over the years and calls on funding to be provided to front line services.
Deputy Ward said “The announcement by Simon Harris that the HSE are launching a mental health and wellbeing initiative to support the mental health needs of the public through this pandemic does not go far enough.” “€1 million of funding is just window dressing by this Government, aimed at getting a few glossy headlines. “If this Government is serious about tackling mental health it needs to direct funding to the front-line community mental health and addiction services now. These are the services that will be left to deal with the mental health fall out post COVID 19”
“Directly funding these services will enable them to increase their capacity and enable them to provide a comprehensive care plan for their service users” “I have worked in front line addiction and mental health services for years and have seen their funding decimated”
“Recently JIGSAW which is a youth mental health service pulled out of providing a 5-day programme in Clondalkin and have decided that a limited satellite service will be provided instead. This was prior to COVID 19 and has caused huge concerns for my community”
“JIGSAW was set up in North Clondalkin after a series of youth suicides in our area. These were children of my friends and neighbours. The community rallied and fought tooth and nail for JIGSAW”
“The onset of COVID 19 and the mental health fallout have raised concerns. The unclear announcement by the Government about the Leaving Cert exams has increased anxiety for young people in my area and clarity is needed on this”
“I am from North Clondalkin, JIGSAW has provided a service and helped break the stigma around youth mental health. Young people had a place where they could just be, a place they felt safe, a place they could talk and a place where it is ok not to be ok.” “The Government through the HSE fund JIGSAW and I am calling for them to direct JIGSAW to provide the service where it is most needed and to provide JIGSAW with the resources to increase their capacity”
“Years of underinvestment by successive Governments in our communities, including the Local Drug Task Forces have left a lot of our areas bankrupt of the resources needed to tackle these issues” “The failure to properly fund the Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces demonstrates the government’s indifference to the damage and devastation that drugs cause to people, families and communities.”
“This type of piecemeal and once-off funding announced by the Government is inefficient and is inadequate to support the strategic and sustainable investment in local services needed in our communities. “I am calling on the Government to act immediately and fund community services now. This Government needs to be proactive instead of being reactive” “It is very important that people know they are not alone during this time and that community services will be able to support them now and, in the future,”
