3458. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department holds or has commissioned any data on the association between social media use and mental health presentations among persons under 18 years of age in the State; the source and date of any such data; whether it informs current policy on online safety; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56449/26]

My priority, and that of Government, is to ensure that children and young people who need services and supports can access them and access them on time. This is in line with our national mental health policy Sharing the Vision: A Mental Health Policy for Everyone, our national suicide reduction strategy Connecting for Life, the national mental health promotion plan Pathways to Wellbeing, and the HSE Annual Service Plans.

Government has provided record funding of nearly €1.6 billion for mental health in 2026. The specialist CAMHS service receives approximately €191 million annually, an increase of almost 40% over the past four years. A further €127 million is provided to NGOs, many of which focus on young people.

The overall development and enhancement of digital mental health supports and information provision is guided by our national mental health policy Sharing the Vision: A Mental Health Policy for Everyone, which recognises the potential for online spaces for promoting positive mental health and to provide appropriate signposting to services and supports. Significant work has been undertaken to ensure that people have easy access to reliable and trusted information about mental health and available supports online.

A key action under Sharing the Vision is the launch of the HSE Digital Mental Health Strategy in March 2026. The strategy aims to enhance mental health for all through digital technologies that improve infrastructure and provide safe, effective, and accessible mental health information, tools, and services. ? By leveraging cutting-edge digital tools and infrastructure, the strategy will empower service users, clinicians, and communities to access safe, effective, and personalised mental health supports anytime, anywhere. ?It seeks to address inequalities in access and promote digital mental health solutions that are inclusive and equitable.

Progress to date includes:

• Launch of the HSE’s public awareness campaign Making the Connections, which aims to increase mental health literacy.

• Updates to yourmentalhealth.ie based on users’ needs

• Launch of My Mental Health Plan, an online tool with personalised advice on stress, anxiety, low mood and sleep and signposting to further mental health supports and services, if required

• Support for public information campaigns led by partner organisations relating to online safety and mental health

I established the National Office for Child and Youth Mental Health in the HSE to improve leadership and all aspects of care across youth mental health. The Office published its new Youth Mental Health Action Plan in February 2025. This ambitious plan for comprehensive reform across all youth mental health services will deliver services which are safer, effective, easier to access and which offers appropriate support at all levels when needed. Theme 10 of the Child and Youth Mental Health Office Action Plan 2025-2027 which relates to digital mental health is being progressed by the HSE, including the new Navigator Tool to better signpost services and improved Support Talk Therapies.

I recognise that the relationship between social media and youth mental health is complex. Digital technologies can provide connection, information and support, but they can also expose young people to harmful content, cyberbullying, unrealistic social comparisons and other risks to wellbeing including a significant impact on sleep and sleep quality which can impact on overall mental health and wellbeing. Our response must therefore be evidence-based, proportionate and focused on protecting children and young people while enabling them to benefit from the opportunities of the digital world. I support stronger online safety protections, improved digital literacy and accessible mental health services as mutually reinforcing parts of the solution to the problems caused by certain types of online activity.

To support our work, the Online Health Taskforce was established in September 2024, bringing together expertise from health, public health, education, online safety, academia, civil society and youth stakeholders. The Taskforce examined the health impacts of the online environment and highlighted the importance of digital literacy, digital resilience, safer platform design and a whole-of-society approach to promoting healthier online experiences.

The Final Report of the Taskforce was published in December 2025. The Report provides a comprehensive framework to understand and address the complex challenges facing children and young people in digital environments. It includes four proposed foundational principles and 10 recommendations aimed at increasing the protection of children from online threats and ensuring the creation of safer online spaces. The recommendations provide a clear roadmap for action – one that puts children's rights at the centre and requires a whole-of-government response. The Taskforce’s recommendations represent a robust public health response to the harms caused by certain types of online activity. Successful implementation will introduce much stronger protections and significantly enhance the mental health and wellbeing of our children and young people.

As part of our current Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Ireland is promoting discussion on online safety and the broader digital determinants of health. We welcome ongoing work by the European Commission, WHO Europe and Member States to strengthen the evidence base and identify effective public-health-led responses to support youth mental health in the digital age.

In the context of the comprehensive body of work outlined above in providing services and supports to those who need them, alongside accurate and accessible mental health information and signposting in the online space, the Department has not commissioned specific research or data collection as suggested by the Deputy. However, the Department will continue to review the question of any associations between social media use and mental health presentations in the context of progressing the wide ranging initiatives I have outlined above.