Like so many people in this House, this weekend, I will be participating in Darkness Into Light annual fundraiser with Pieta House. It will take place in a number of venues around the country from 4.15 a.m. on Saturday. The idea behind Darkness Into Light is to raise awareness of suicide and mental health issues, remove the stigma of it and bring communities together so people are prepared to talk. Getting more people to talk and engage on the subject is the best solution to this issue.

There is an issue with providing these support services to people with mental health issues or suicidal tendencies. That is something we probably need to have a debate in this House about. There are a lot of primary care centres and family resource centres around the country. All of these are supported by the State and yet we are relying on a private charity like Pieta House to take up the mantle with regard to suicide awareness. It is a very well-supported charity. I commend all of the organisers all over the country who have put in weeks of preparation for this weekend. It is a very worthy cause. About €36 million has been raised for Pieta House through Darkness Into Light walks since its inception in 2009 so it is a significant amount of money. The question I would like to ask is whether we are doing enough as a State, which is why I would like to have that conversation.