I raise mental health services for young people in Kildare South. As the Minister of State will be aware, we are in a crisis in youth mental health, with services oversubscribed across the State. In Kildare, the situation is particularly acute. Some 14 people died by suicide in Kildare in 2023 and, in recent times, one of the essential services supporting young people was shut down.

I welcome the €1.1 million investment announced in budget 2027 for a new Jigsaw service in Newbridge, which is badly needed. However, there is currently no building for the service to operate out of and no obvious alternative. Will the Minister of State personally intervene to provide for a new building and ensure that there is no further delay to the establishment of the new Jigsaw service in Droichead Nua?

I thank the Deputy for her question and for welcoming the extension of the Jigsaw services for young children and adolescents who suffer with mild to moderate mental health challenges.

I recently opened a service in Waterford, which was only the second in the past three years because Jigsaw changed its model of care for a while. However, I am delighted that, working with the Minister, I secured €3.6 million in the budget to extend the provision of Jigsaw services across Kildare, Dún Laoghaire, Cavan-Monaghan and Sligo-Leitrim, which will be welcome. The funding provided for the Kildare area was the largest proportion at €1.1 million. It will be a hub-and-spoke model based in Newbridge, with spokes coming out of it to cover the whole of County Kildare.

I have been working closely with my colleague, Senator O'Loughlin, who is in correspondence with the local authority to try to secure a premises. I believe we are close to securing one. It is helpful if we have the support of local authorities in providing premises at a reasonable rent so that the bulk of the money can be spent on providing the services by the multidisciplinary team that is in place.