This afternoon.
In the Dáil.
During Questions on Promised Legislation.
Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald spoke about the late Dara Quigley and her question was responded to by Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald.
Mick Barry, of the Solidarity-People Before Profit party, also spoke about Dara and Fine Gael’s Minister of State for Mental Health Helen McEntee responded to him.
Their exchanges:
Mary Lou McDonald: “Tánaiste, yesterday, the Taoiseach indicated that you would be more than happy, in fact delighted, it seemed, to come before the House and make a statement on the matters surrounding Templemore and some of the issues that we touched on and Leaders’ Questions. You also indicated that you would be quite happy to take questions in that regard. So I want to know, when you propose to do that.
“And can I also say, Tánaiste, when you take to your feet on that occasion, I would like you also to shed some light on the case of Dara Quigley. A young woman who died by suicide on April 12. She had been detained by gardaí some days previously, under the Mental Health Act. She had been walking naked on a Dublin street when detained and Garda CCTV footage of this detention was posted on Facebook. A really deplorable and revolting turn of events and something that has brought great hardship to her family and clearly brought very, very great distress to Dara. So we mark her passing and when we talk about Garda culture and reform and accountability, I suppose this the rawest end, the sharpest end of deplorable, a deplorable culture of humiliation and disregard for human beings.”
“So, Tánaiste, I hope that you will, as the Taoiseach promised, come before the House, make your statement, take questions and I hope also that you might shed some light on the accountability that will be held for the life of Dara Quigley.”
Frances Fitzgerald: “Well, in relation to the individual case that you mention, deputy. Everybody would be totally disturbed and appalled by the story that has been reported in the media and actions are following on from that. As you know, that has been reported, there is an investigation and there is a GSOC inquiry but, just to say, of course our thoughts are with, are with that young woman’s family, given the appalling and very, very sad sequence of events. No doubt, the business committee can discuss the question of ministers appearing before the Dáil and, certainly, I want to make the point that, I don’t want to cut across in any way the work that the Public Accounts Committee is doing in relation to Templemore.”
…
Mick Barry: “There has been media comment on the circumstances leading up to the death of the journalist and blogger Dara Quigley. Very serious questions have been raised about the Garda Síochána and their treatment of the most vulnerable in society. I want to leave those questions for another day.”
“Today, I want to ask you a question on dual diagnosis. Dara suffered and struggled with both addiction and mental health problems. She received help from many agencies but what was available was not sufficient. A particular problem was the lack of dual diagnosis services for psychiatric and addiction problems are treated together in a professional and properly funded manner. My question to the Tánaiste: does she see a legislative pathway to addressing this problem?”
Helen McEntee: “Just to join you in offering my condolences to her family and to her friends. This is, you know, it’s an absolutely terrible situation and it’s deplorable what has happened consequently since. The issue of dual diagnosis is something that we haven’t dealt with in the past and we know that in a significant number of suicides, there is a link between drug or alcohol use as well. We’re currently developing a clinical programme on the issue of dual diagnosis.”
“We’ve appointed a national clinical lead who will be working to develop a programme which means that if somebody is suffering from either a drug or alcohol problem that is leading on to a mental health problem, that there will be a clear clinical pathway for our doctors and nurses within our acute hospitals but also in our primary care settings so there’s work well underway and we’d be hoping to continue that into the year.”
Watch Dáil proceedings live here
I hope the dual diagnosis programme referred to in the last paragraph is devised and implemented quickly, and that it works.
This happened to me in Cork city (I stripped naked on Patrick Street at approx 3-4am thankfully I was pulled in and released quite quickly )prior to my first hospitalisation. (Second and final one in 1998)Luckily for me there were no social media or smart phones in October 1997. (The person who leaked this video should be prosecuted or lose their job named and shamed at the very least)
Isn’t it about time we listened to people like myself who made it through these difficult times. I don’t have a patent on mental health.I would like the chance to apply my experience through a framework initiated by mental health professionals is all I require.Trust me it’s been made ridiculously hard to tell my story. I never thought telling the truth in order to help others could be made so difficult.
From anyone’s perspective I am a very successful mental health exponent statically speaking . Yet the government and other organisations would much rather bring in no change. The same voices who bring awareness are unable to bring change however well meaning they are.
If altruism was alive and well with mental health in Ireland today things would be so much further along the line. Instead what we have is a race to the bottom. Everyone for themselves. It’s depressing in its own right unfortunately.
Are ye though Bill? You see there’s people would rather hide ye under a rock and look away as it’s too horrible for them to contemplate- the reality of how as a nation and a society we deal with people like you every day
The same kind of nonsense people who say: nah we don’t want to SEE naked women, we don’t want to SEE police brutality ( in other words: reality),” take it DOWN , Broadsheet !” , they cried, with the banshee wails
Oh and look, the man who said that to us, he said a Very Bad Thing Once, who ALLOWED him say that? ( actual quote here today, no poo, and the usual cavalcade of pooforbrains slapping him on the back and telling him what a “decent” fella he is)
If only they could SEE themSELVES
Thanks yes I am haven’t been hospitalised in nearly 20 days, no big suicidal ideation in 3 years, after having it all my adult life since i was 15, looking into my childhood really helped me, my older sister Siobhan died in a cot death and Mam had breast cancer during that pregnancy, long long story which i only really found out 3 years ago. Appreciate you asking, If Ireland was like Darkness into Light every day it would be great, but its not even close. I work in city centre as an IT consultant. Trust me its still quite dark out there, relatively better i guess, but the awareness of education of people in general towards mental health is very poor.
“the reality of how as a nation and a society we deal with people like you every day”
There’s no people like him… it’s a spectrum that everyone’s on. There’s no normal, really.
Don’t reply please.
Thanks for sharing Bill. I’m sorry you had to go through such an ordeal. Was your depression defined?
You’re a good guy Johnny
@knob man is an island
We will never be mates, but let’s agree on one thing…
You’re an obnoxious effer and it’s a serious effort be on your side.
Goodnight.
Let me get stroppy with the rest of them… the ones who let me down…
Let them form a line that I think looks straight.
Sometimes the unexpected happens. Nobody knows when, what, why, how…
I need another shower.
Give the indignated space for their indignation. It’s rule 22 of the internet.
Rule 1 is anyone can make up a rulre but number 23 is taken.
Misspellings get you bonus points, and there are NO RULES. (EXCEPT GRAMMAR AND PROPER,..PUnction and stuff. Keep your posts short if yoou want to popular without…I dunno… I dont wash my underwear… I sell them, but that’s a different level of reality you wouldn’t understand if you have a television.
I hate to say it but I fully(ish) agree with you on this issue.
Actually I find that I agree with you about any number of things memes, your video content and music posts are also usually great, personally also I don’t seek validation by being on this blog , I honestly don’t give a fupp whether I’m banned or moderated or whatever , and controversial subjects like this have a great capacity to show who else thinks clearly and who doesnt, so far on this topic i can count them on the fingers of one hand
Thanks Johnny, I and other psychologists believe my bipolar I diagnosis at 22 was wrong. Currently I have reduced lithium by 50% in the past 18 months. I don’t believe its possible to be this open without really going through the other side. I work as an IT consultant in city centre.
Putting these two stories down I hope to do more, its been very hard to get full story across, you wouldnt believe how hard it is to tell what happened in this country if you’re not a celebrity unfortunately. Two different slants, the local paper is the more up to date, a lot has even changed in a year, i have given a mental health talk at DBS , done some radio (LMFM), all i really want to do is present what I did as a choice for others, no one is 100% , but this will help of that I am sure :)
http://www.independent.ie/life/health-wellbeing/health-features/battling-bipolar-disorder-i-would-go-to-bed-at-7pm-cry-and-dream-of-better-days-and-think-about-suicide-31443312.html
http://www.tipperarystar.ie/news/news/207291/The-boy-with-the-thorn-in.html
Just read the 2 links Bill. You seem to have went through a tough time. Well done on working hard to get to where you are today.
Misdiagnosis seems to be all to prevalent. I can only presume how tough that was and then dealing with a new diagnosis.
Alternative solutions like reiki don’t seem to on the radar for most people. The conventional GP will not lead patients to alternative mechanisms to dealing with mental illness. There isn’t much money in that.
I think your story sheds a light for good and it’s important to appreciate that everyone’s depression is different, but is real to them.
Thanks for sharing Bill. Stay cool fella.
Peace!
J
Nobody should be shamed, fired, or harassed for this. They should be educated in the right thing to do.
Like Sinn Féin give a sh1t about life.
Ah give it a rest, Mourning. Not the time or the place for cheap shots against the hated “Shinners”.
SHUT THE SHEIK UP, moaner…
but yyou cant*
*misspelling
[WHY am I on the same side as the people I usually disagree with the first, the fastest and the most often?
THIS IS WRECKING ME HEAD.
I never knew that hive-mentality was a REAL thing until yesterday.
Heigh-ho, let’s go, do it again tomorrow.
You people talk to mirrors.
I talk to myself.
There’s a big difference.
Mind your own business, you boring bollix.
Have a bit of manners Sheik
nothing will happen with the garda who shared the footage. he/she will probably be promoted. I know of two gardai who were promoted after a legal action against the state which cost at least €200k. one is a sergeant now one is a detective.
Good for them. Who cares?
Oh you’re such a troll.
Yeah. You know me so well.
Hey, Kid Jersey, or whatever your name is…
I won a competition, or maybe I sent offf 50p to join a fanclub…whatever…
Radio Luxembourg, whatever…
They sent me a poster of you.
Can I get my 50p back?
That photo of Mary Lou is awesome. If Russ Meyer was still alive, I’d want him to cast her.
Beyond the Valley of the Dails perhaps
Who ate all the pies? Mary did.
The level of casual abuse directed against female politicians, more often than not in relation to their personal appearance, is actually stomach-churning.
(and I say this as someone who hates SF, with a strong dislike for Mary Lou).
I am equal in my abuse, I don’t discriminate. I call out overweight men as well. Obesity is a massive problem in this country, possibly the biggest threat to our health service.