Mental Health Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed)
Seanad Éireann — 2026-01-29
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Victor Boyhan (IND), Agricultural Panel

I heard the Minister of State getting up early in the morning and having a great brief. That is great. Leo was the last person who talked about getting up early in the morning. My next comment will not be a reference to the Minister of State. Rather, this is in a lighter mode because we do laugh, smile and get on with each other. I would not like anyone to think that all of us do not. I said to Leo that it was one thing getting up early in the morning, but it was about staying up all day. He took the point. I am not at the end of the Minister of State's whip. Am I not glad?
The Minister of State might share with us the briefing she got on the free counselling service and supports for men at some stage. That would be interesting. A lot of people come to me and say they cannot get services.
I spent part of last night down with Senator McCarthy's organisation down on Pearse Street. Our wonderful former Clerk of the Seanad was there playing music. One of the heartbreaking and recurring things I heard from people I shared a bit of food and a cup of tea with, and listened to the music with, was the alarming impact in terms of mental health. The saddest thing that everyone had to do last night was to close the door and push them all back out onto the street. That was really sad. A real live community was going on there.
The recurring theme among new arrivals into our country who had hoped they would have a welcome - some of them have had a welcome - was that, due to addiction and other pressures that were interconnected in many cases, and although they were crying out for help, the hardest thing was to push open the door to go into a strange place to seek shelter and ask for help. The women I spoke to seemed to be much more driven and dynamic in seeking out help than the men.
The recurring themes among those people were their nerves, their health and their confidence, and how they felt with water filling their boots and people literally spitting at them on the street. However, I saw vibrancy and a community response. Last night, there were volunteers from EY and AIB. Every night, there are volunteers from two corporate bodies who act as volunteers and stewards. What a fantastic, collaborative community response. Mental health was one of the key themes and concerns raised by nearly everyone I spoke to.

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Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:34+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-01-29