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Thousands take part in the Darkness Into Light event in Dublin's Phoenix Park this year to raise funds for suicide charity Pieta House. Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland
Mental Health
"Emotions are just sucked from the body" - Sinn Féin TD speaks about his brothers' suicides
“Over the years I have seen too many of my friends end their lives by suicide.”
A SINN FÉIN TD spoke about the suicides of his brothers in the Dáil last night.
Speaking during a party motion calling for a 24/7 crisis intervention adult mental health service, Cork East TD Pat Buckley said it was “high time” the Dáil had a discussion about mental health.
“I know the lack of 24/7 crisis intervention services is a major issue that must be tackled.
“Many here will be very aware that mental health and suicide prevention is very close to my own heart.
Like many other families, I and my extended family have had to go through the trauma of burying loved ones, not once but on two occasions.
Buckley said he had broken the news of his brothers’ deaths to his parents. He added that his was not the only family affected.
“Over the years I have seen too many of my friends end their lives by suicide.
One cannot describe the hurt and sense of loss that is experienced within a family when it is told that one of its own has died by suicide.
One’s emotions are just sucked from the body and automatically replaced with feelings of hopelessness, sadness, bewilderment and anger. As the eldest of the family, it was I who was tasked with the responsibility of breaking the news to my parents and the rest of my siblings.
“I did not have the answers at the time to my brothers’ deaths and still do not, but surely with better preventative measures and services like 24/7 crisis intervention, so many other families could have been spared the same trauma.
“Unfortunately, in the past two weeks, I have been made aware of three more people who have taken their own lives. I am also sure that my story is replicated by many families across the country and this is still happening today, as we speak.
Over the past few months I have spoken to many coroners around the State and I have heard the same story, over and over again, with a handful of suicides coming across their desks each month.
He pointed out that the Vision For Change document, published in 2006, proposed crisis intervention services and called for a full range of community mental health teams and programmes for adults with mental health issues to be rolled out.
“Ten years on and there is still no State-wide 24/7 crisis intervention service for people in need of emergency mental health care in this country.
“Where do people turn to? At present, their options are very limited.”
He went on to tell the story of a young man whose family were in the chamber.
One family who experienced this is that of Stephen Byrne. Stephen took his own life in January at the age of 20, having been turned away from hospital multiple times and after an attempted hanging while in Garda custody. He took his own life in desperation and hopelessness after failing to get adequate care.
“Some members of Stephen’s family are here today, including his mother Patricia, who is now a voice for her son.
“She is calling for crisis intervention services to be made available at all times, for which I commend her.”
Buckley said that the Sinn Féin motion asked the state to do no more than it had already pledged.
Junior minister Helen McEntee said that the government had made good progress implementing the 2006 strategy and had increased community services.
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