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SENATOR AND PIETA House founder Joan Freeman has strongly criticised Taoiseach Enda Kenny for taking part in last weekend’s Darkness Into Light event in Toronto, saying she was surprised he had “the neck” to do it.
In the Seanad today, Freeman referenced a report in yesterday’s Irish Times which said that Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin had written to Kenny criticising a cut to mental health services.
The senator, who was elected to the Seanad by Kenny last year, said that it was a “little ironic” that he took part in the suicide awareness event amidst these reports of cuts to mental health services.
However, Freeman had actually tweeted praise for the Taoiseach for his role in the Toronto event on Saturday.
She told the chamber: “The Taoiseach took part in Darkness into Light in Canada on Saturday morning. It was shown around the whole world that he was participating in this walk.
As the leader of our country, does he not see it as a little ironic, or quite funny in some way, that he did this after sanctioning the cuts in the mental health budget?
At this point, she was interrupted by Fine Gael’s Jerry Buttimer who repeatedly insisted that the mental health budget increased, rather than decreased in the last budget.
When she was afforded the opportunity to speak again, Freeman said: “The €35 million I am talking about was reduced to €15 million this year. That is grossly unfair.
As usual, mental health is the Cinderella of all the social issues. It is always the one the money is removed from and placed as a stopgap in some other area that the Taoiseach wishes to fill. I am just surprised that the leader of our country had the neck to walk in Darkness into Light.
Sinn Féin Senator Pádraig MacLochlainn spoke up in support of Freeman, saying that she is “better qualified than anyone else in the House to say what the gaps are in terms of mental health”.
“All that she is asking that she would be present at a meeting with the Taoiseach to discuss those gaps,” he said.
Buttimer, meanwhile, said that he “disagreed profoundly” with Freeman. He defended the Minister of State, Helen McEntee, who he said has “put her life and soul into the mental health area”. He added:
Furthermore, last Saturday morning, Senator Freeman congratulated the Taoiseach for participating in the Darkness into Light walk and then came in today and criticised him. The Senator cannot have it every way.
He added that a cross-party approach to mental health was needed, but that wasn’t quite the case at the moment.
At Budget time, Health Minister Simon Harris said he would allocate €35 million more to the mental health budget next year.
However, responding to a question by Fianna Fáil’s James Browne, Minister of State for Mental Health Helen McEntee had said just €15 million would be available for 2017.
A Journal.ie FactCheck showed that the government had, in fact, not cut mental health funding in Budget 2017.
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Nowadays it seems like any small politician will take a stab at Kenny just to get their name out there. Horrendous stuff when the leader of this country goes out and supports great causes like this but only gets lambasted for it.
Totally out of line to criticize the Taoiseach for making a personal effort to support this cause. No matter how many millions are spent on mental health it is not going to stop suicide which is far to complex to fully understand, especially when it is sudden, out of character and seemingly for no obvious reasons.
@Negan: she’s the founder of Pieta House, more qualified than you or I or even himself with regards mental health.
I sincerely doubt she’s speaking out “just to get her name out there”, rather she seems to be one of the few empathetic politicians we have.
@Negan: he could show support without going. How about not cutting their funding or not putting policies in place that have the people feeling that the only way out is suicide. FG FF and Labour have caused a scourge of suicide over the last decade so excuse me if I don’t jump for joy because he turns up for a photo op and to pretend to care.
@Negan: yet he cut funding for mental health services
@winston smith: where as a greater number of people who do commit suicide have suicide ideation, depression, bi polar disorder etc etc. Try accessing mental health services here
@winston smith: Actually a lot of the causes of sucide are well known and that is why there is so many campaigns run. The truth is access to a medical appointments are difficult due to long wait times and counselling is not always offered and people can’t afford private counselling or aren’t aware of the sliding scale of charges for places like mymind. Cutting funds means less access to doctors counsellors and social workers. This government relies too much on voluntary groups to make up the shortfall in services. They are pushed to the limited and people end up on waiting lists and that turns out to be fatal for some .
@Stephen Brady: seems like someone didn’t read the full article…
@Daithí Uí Ciarmhic: read to the last line of the article and say that again
@Negan: I’m sure he’s got some guilt on his conscience. It’s amazing he got to show his concern for victims while he was visiting another country. He shouldn’t even have been there. Disgraceful man
@Negan: in other words u dont like whistleblowers &truth tellers
I can understand her passion and outrage but surely he was only trying to set a personal good example not a political one? Wasn’t he?
Will Enda STILL BE Taoiseach at the NEXT Darkness into Light????
I did it because I believe it was one if best ways to get likes on my Facebook page.
@Free comment ratings: well I’d say the twenty five quid you paid helped Pieta House too so everyone’s a winner baby that’s the thrill.
#factcheck She was appointed to the Seanad not “elected” – still free to speak her mind but I think the Taoiseach deserves credit for supporting the Darkness into Light walk.
@Mary Tully: by cutting funding for mental health services?
@Daithí Uí Ciarmhic: once again daithi, he in fact did not cut the funding but rather opposite to your claim, some €20million or so was actually added to the budget. So please, next time, do your homework before you spout sh!t out of your mouth.
@Negan: I’ll leave the shįt talking to you FG gimps, 35 was supposed to be allocated at budget time, head line grabbing, slap on the backs all around. Then when pushed it’s revealed ah no we just have 15m. Now jog on ye tool
@Mary Tully: she has donated her salary to pieta house i think that says it all really
@Daithí Uí Ciarmhic: I think you mean an extra €24.7m on top of the already huge figure of €850m…
@Negan: stop back tracking you’re making a fool of yourself
@Daithí Uí Ciarmhic: only fool here is the person who never read the full article. Read the headline went straight to comment….that’s what they all do.
@Veroníca Maguire: the fact check relates to Journal saying she was “elected” which is different to her being appointed. Her Pieta House charity is a life saver for many & I admire her greatly. Just don’t agree with her views on Taoiseach joining the walk.
@Negan: you’re the one waffling about the combined HSE budget, they said there would be 35m allocated to mental health services, when pushed after the budget and the photo OP was over it was revealed that it wasn’t the case only in a blinkered FG shills world is that an improvement
@Mary Tully: Edna has some neck. He shouldn’t even be in Canada. Isn’t he lucky Maurice McCabe and his family are strong people. He’s a disgrace of a human being and his legacy will be ridiculed by people in the future
@Mary Murphy: if theres any justice it should..
So is it 35 or 15 million, this year and isn’t that cutting 20 from it. If it has dropped, from 35 last year to 15 this year.
When reading about the various DIL Walks around the world, these were two of the most disheartening aspects of the stories that followed. The first was the Taoiseach using such an important event to promote himself as a man of integrity after the way he and his governments have consistently abandoned those most in need. The second was the founder of Pieta House congratulating him for doing it in a tweet.
Neck like a jockeys saddle
Hopefully he has finally seen the light?
@Jarlath Murphy: And the whistle blowing too… lol.
@Jarlath Murphy: And the whistle blowing too… lol. Chu Chu…
@Jarlath Murphy: u re asking a bit much there
Ironic given that the psychiatric service is the most efficient in the HSE.
@Ian Moloney: you must be joking it’s the most useless – if you want to ‘ talk ‘ or make an appointment you could wait 3 months
@Eugene McDonough: its 2 years for neurology.
Not appropriate that Buttime said about Helen McEntee that she puts her “life and soul” into mental health issues. Her history and speaking about Darkness into Light.
@Paul Coughlan: what do u mean?
They are all hypocrits.
Ha! I’m surprised the senator had the neck to criticise an actual participation???? Jesus, get over it and be grateful for the support!!!
He’s a hypocrite and an anyone else saying otherwise is idiotic, I suppose you don’t have to donate to a charity to support a Charity ??? #F#@kOff
He’s directly saying I support a charity, then putting his hands in the Charity basket and stealing their fund’s!!!!
@Mel Kelly: I think you mean putting his hands in the charity basket and handing them an extra €24,700,000?
All showmen need a show or a circus, have to keep the people entertained even if its only with clowns?
Darkness into light is a joke anyway and changes nothing in the mental health arena. Money for essential services however changes everything. Once again Edna picks the wrong option.
@Phil Swan: 150,000 people at €25 per person. Pretty effective fundraiser.
A bit eccentric on her part i think.
Found my daughter’s suicide note yesterday
Oh my God I’m so sorry spiderman. I cannot imagine what you’re through and nor do I ever want to. God bless you no offence intended all I can think to say and RIP your poor child.
@John O’Driscoll: She’s still alive, thank God and she’s getting help but she was going to do it and I don’t know what to do now. Doing everything I can to stop it.
@Spiderman: I hope it works out ok, lost my father to suicide. I know the battle you have ahead and the abysmal services you have to try and do it with
@Daithí Uí Ciarmhic: Thanks. Sorry for your loss. I have lost many friends to suicide. I am doing everything I can to prevent losing my daughter
@Spiderman:best of luck to u hope everything turns out well
What kind of an eerie is this one, praising him on Saturday and then criticising him yesterday, that shows us something, but sure He appointed her to the Seanad so what would you expect .
Maybe he was feeling guilty? Oh were there cameras there, my bad!
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