Mental Health is a key priority for Comhairle na nÓg - Reilly
Speaking after participating at Comhairle na nÓg’s biennial national parliament for young people, Dáil na nÓg in Croke Park Dublin, Sinn Féin’s spokesperson on youth affairs, Kathryn Reilly said she was looking forward to working with the new national executive in the coming year, particularly on the issue of mental health.
She said: “Mental health is a critical issue for young Irish citizens especially at this moment in time. As stated by Headstrong, (The National Centre for Youth Mental Health in Ireland) in recent studies, it has been found that:Sdicide is the leading cause of death in young people; one in four young people feel that they are going through difficult times, with no one to talk to; families faced with youth self-harm, suicide attempts and high-risk behaviour believe they have nowhere to turn for help.
Stigma
“It has also been highlighted that young people in this state feel the stigma surrounding youth mental health is an obstacle to making real changes. This is why I feel so positive about the decision Comhairle na nÓg have made to address the issue of mental health as a key priority in their programme of work for the coming year 2014. I congratulate the members for making this proactive and brave decision which will ultimately help break the taboo attached to mental health in this state.
“As one of the new liaison Oireachtas members with Comhairle na nÓg, I am eager to begin working with their programme for 2014 and look forward to cooperating on issues of priority to them in the coming year.”