Seanad Report: It was ironic that at a time of unsurpassed wealth in the State there was also a previously unexperienced level of depression and unhappiness, a junior Minister said yesterday.
"I think that sends out a very strong message to the opinion-makers, and also, maybe, our education system, that our sense of values in society needs to be looked at very closely and needs to be challenged," Tim O'Malley, Minister of State for Health, said.
As a society we did not spend enough time with vulnerable people and did not listen sufficiently to them to discover their problems.
There was definitely a connection between the excessive consumption of alcohol and depression and suicide.
He was speaking on the 2005 Report of the Mental Health Commission which incorporates the Report of the Inspector of Mental Health Services.
"We have created that wealth, but wealth in monetary terms means nothing if we are not a happy people and if we are not able to look after ourselves.
"I send out a challenge to everyone in society that it's not about money. It's about how we live as a society, and I think there's a huge sociological thing to be done here in the whole discussion about mental health."
Mr O'Malley said he was happy to say the remaining provisions of the Mental Health Act would begin on November 1st.
He assured the House that work was continuing towards ensuring that appropriate child and adolescent psychiatric in-patient services were put in place without delay.
Stressing the need for the availability of services for disturbed adolescents, Fergal Browne (FG) said he was aware of a case where an 18-year-old girl with severe behavioural problems had been hitting her mother.
Unfortunately the teenager was at present serving a six-month prison sentence. Her mother, who was terrified as to what might happen on her release, had in the past slept fully clothed and with her mobile phone and car keys in her hand in case she was attacked by her daughter. There did not seem to be anywhere to which this fearful woman could turn.
Emphasising the need to ensure that the publication of the O'Neill Report on the Leas Cross Nursing Home was done correctly, Geraldine Feeney (FF) said she was mindful of the tragic death of British scientist Dr David Kelly following disclosures to the House of Commons about intelligence concerning the war in Iraq.
Ms Feeney said there were reasons why the report by Prof O'Neill should be published, but steps must be taken to make sure no health worker was going to have his or her good name taken.
House leader Mary O'Rourke said she was sure the report would be published, but she agreed that this must be done in a balanced way.