I also thank all the staff who have been helpful in the short time I have been here. I may never be back, but I have enjoyed it.

I also want to pay respects to the family of Brandon Roche in Wexford.

His body was recovered from Wexford Harbour yesterday, after a ten-day search. He will be buried tomorrow. This is almost the 70th time I have stood here expressing concerns about mental health in Wexford. Brandon's body has been recovered less than two weeks after my last representation.

The figures I have come from responses to parliamentary questions, so they are facts - they are not made up. The response from the HSE is that in 2023 there was of a total of 677 referrals to the child and adolescent mental health services in the whole of Wexford, of which 202 were seen, less than a third. Brandon Roche was 19. Two thirds of the referrals made by doctors, accident and emergency services or through the National Educational Psychological Service were not seen.

I thank the Deputy.

That is 475 individuals. The Ceann Comhairle will have to indulge me because this is a life-or-death issue. It is 475 children with nowhere to go. GPs and their families are at a loss as to what to do. I have mentioned this 70 times. Two weeks ago, the Minister said 24-7 services were available through the accident and emergency unit. These are referrals from the accident and emergency unit, but they are not being seen. Two thirds of children are not being seen.

Let us try to get an answer for the Deputy.

We can send every voluntary organisation to search for a body for ten days – from the RNLI, to Slaney Search and Rescue and all of the rescue services, but we cannot do prevention. We cannot see the children to assist the families when that is needed.

I thank the Deputy. The time is up now.

This is a failing of the Government - of the Minister, the Tánaiste, the Taoiseach, and the Minister of State sitting behind the Tánaiste.

I ask the Deputy to please allow the Tánaiste to respond.

I extend my deepest sympathies to the family of Brandon Roche. It is a very sad situation for his family and friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with them.

Prevention is the key in terms of mental health more generally, but it begins earlier in life. The most important programmes are the social, personal and health education, SPHE, programmes in primary schools where children build up self-esteem, mutual respect and the values that hopefully can build resilience in life. All schools are now developing well-being curricula and programmes to try to demonstrate the interdependence of all of us, if one likes, and the need to help each other as we grow and develop in life.

We have invested. We have done a lot with non-governmental organisations in the mental health advocacy area. We fund a lot of those organisations, including Jigsaw and Pieta House. They received well over €100 million. They engage with young people and help them when their mental health is impaired or under pressure or when issues arise.

I thank the Tánaiste.

We must continue to do that. I pay tribute to all of the search and rescue teams and organisations, some of which we fund, including the Civil Defence and others across the board.

We are over time.

It is a sad situation. We must keep working on it. Investment has increased but it is a societal issue as well.