Today is National Traveller Mental Health Day. Nearly 80% of Travellers who took part in a survey stated that they or a member of their family had suffered from depression, compared with just 8% of the general population. The survey, carried out by the Clondalkin Traveller primary healthcare project, involved Travellers living in the Clondalkin, Lucan, Newcastle and Palmerstown areas. Suicide and self-harm are also major factors, with 74% of respondents stating that they or a family member had suffered from self-harm. On page 54 of the programme for Government, there is a commitment to publishing a Traveller and Roma mental health action plan. Has that work commenced? When will the action plan be published?

I was contacted by a parent of an 18-year-old young man who had an acute mental illness. He suffered from it for approximately a year. She told me he had regular appointments when he was under the adolescent services and that the support he got was very good, but since he turned 18 in February he has only had two appointments. He was supposed to have an appointment on 30 September but it was cancelled at short notice. He was promised there would be a follow-up phone call but it never came. When the family rang the clinic they were put through to another doctor who told them they had reached the wrong person and then hung up. He eventually got a prescription. Can face-to-face appointments for people with mental health issues be rolled out again? There have been three suicides in my locality in the past month. Two 21-year-olds and a 16-year-old took their own lives. There have also been several attempted suicides by young people. Mental health supports are vital.

Last week, the mental health charity HOPE(D), which is based in Newbridge, found out that it is going to lose its premises. The HSE refers clients to the service but it receives no funding. Imagine the HSE sending a person to a service that receives no funding. When will that organisation get a permanent home? What can be done about this situation? When will a 24-7 mental health service be provided?

I wish to raise the issue of the mental health of LGBTI young people in particular, who have had a very difficult time in recent months. They have not had a comfortable environment or been accepted. There has been a significant increase in referrals to BeLonGTo and other organisations. I raise this issue very strongly on behalf of those young people.

I thank the Deputies for raising the important issues they outlined relating to mental health, including individual cases, local services, LGBT young people and the Traveller and Roma communities. The commitment to develop and implement that strategy stands. I will ask the Minister of State with responsibility for mental health, Deputy Butler, to provide specific replies to the Deputies.