Mental Health Services
Seanad Éireann — 2026-07-15
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Fiona O'Loughlin (FF), Administrative Panel

I thank the Minister of State very much for being here to respond to my Commencement matter. She and I have spoken both publicly and privately in relation to it. She is an incredibly strong advocate for preventive measures and for positive mental health, which we always need to focus on. We must ensure that everybody's, and particularly every young person's, mental health is valued and supported, and that where a young person needs early intervention, he or she can get that. That is the motto and the value of the organisation called Jigsaw. It is a terrific organisation and, most important, there is great trust in it, both from young people and their families and communities. We are always encouraging young people to talk about challenges or issues they may have with their mental health. Once they start talking about it and asking for help, they need to get that help. That is certainly something on which Jigsaw is very focused.
When we are talking about young people's mental health, we know that about 2% of those looking for support may need to go to child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, which entails an intervention at a more serious level. About 33% of those who need support do not need to go to an organisation like CAMHS but need to have support that is confidential.
Jigsaw works not just one-to-one in youth therapy. Very importantly, it also works with community programmes. It works with schools, sports organisations, youth clubs and community organisations, so it is really reaching young people where they are. We know young people are showing signs of stress or anxiety and that it is a very stressful and anxious world. Interventions can be made at this stage.
The reason I have tabled this Commencement matter is that I have been advocating for a long time for Newbridge to have a Jigsaw service. According to the census figures, Kildare has the highest proportion of young people aged under 24 in the State, representing 36.6% of our total population.
It is representing 36.6% of our total population. The number of under-25s in Kildare is actually higher than the total population of Offaly, Cavan, Sligo, Roscommon, Monaghan, Carlow, Longford and Leitrim. In 2020, the number of young people admitted to a child or adolescent psychiatric unit was far higher than the State rate in Kildare. There is a huge scale of need. I always hate talking about these figures, but in terms of the rate of youth suicide, Kildare has the highest rate in Leinster. According to CSO figures, 14 people died by suicide in Kildare in 2023, in 2022 the figure was 26 and in 2021 it was 27. Demand is rising sharply for services. For other CAMHS services that are surrounding Kildare, parents and people in authority are contacting Jigsaw services that are outside Kildare. It is very evident. The case is made that we need to have the service. The case is also made in relation to the statistics that Jigsaw has itself in terms of its success rate. There is no doubt that more young people are reaching out and Jigsaw is certainly keeping pace. Young people are being seen sooner. If they need other referrals, Jigsaw can work with other organisations. When young people get support, it works. That is the most important thing. I stand here on behalf of the young people of Newbridge and the surrounding areas. If it was located in Newbridge, we would also have an outreach in respect of other areas. I hope the Minister of State has positive news for me today.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-07-15/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-27T06:52:16+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-07-15