Maternal Mental Health Supports: Motion
Seanad Éireann — 2026-02-11
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Eileen Flynn (IND), Administrative Panel

I thank the Minister of State for being here. When I first came into these Houses, I had a wee girl who was five months old. She is now six years of age. I remember those early days. As a member of the Traveller community, I knew that my child was at more risk of cot death than the children of the other women in the unit with me. I felt overwhelmed at being a first-time mother and as a woman from the Traveller community, not feeling good enough.
I had Billy before I came to this House. I remember trying to go to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul for support in Donegal. I remember my husband saying that we cannot go for any financial support because it is for people within the community. In the six years since, I have learned that there is always hope if the right supports are there. What I am trying to say, as Senator Clonan said, is that the community gets in and wraps around you but in my case, I was very isolated. I was living in rural Ireland. For women in rural Ireland, especially those from ethnic minority groups, it can feel daunting. I remember being terrified of telling the nurses that I was feeling down. Years ago, it was called the baby blues. Women were told they would be grand and only had the baby blues. It is not the baby blues. It is postnatal depression and we are not ashamed to talk about it any more.
I heard the Minister of State's speech. She spoke about the services in Dublin. One of my colleagues talked about the service hubs in the west. It is important that we recognise postnatal services outside Dublin for all women. The Minister of State spoke about the fear of coming forward. Some women feel they cannot come forward. I always spoke up for women's rights but at the same time, when the shoe was on my foot, I felt absolutely lost.
It is brilliant that the Cross-Party Group has brought forward this motion, but a motion is only a motion. It means absolutely nothing unless the Department supports it, gets behind it and the Senators who have brought it forward, and gets behind the women. It is important that we stop talking about services and start implementing them in mental health in general in this country. We have come a long way but, by God, we have a long way to go. We must deal with children's mental health and postnatal mental health, and address the little to no mental health supports available to people in the country.
That is an issue for another day. I again welcome the Senators' motion and the Civil Engagement Group is delighted to support it.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-02-11/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:37+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-11