30-05-2025
Wexford mental health group hosts its first meeting in County Hall – ‘Everyone experiencing difficulty must be supported'
At their inaugural meeting on Friday last, the ten councillors (Aidan Browne, Aoife Rose O'Brien, Craig Doyle, Frank Staples, Jackser Owens, Leonard Kelly, Mary Farrell, Michael Sheehan, Raymond Shannon and Tom Forde) selected Cllr Aoife Rose O'Brien as the chairperson of the newly-established Mental Health Services Working Group.
"I am truly honoured to be appointed as chairperson for this working group,' said Cllr O'Brien. 'Mental health is a priority issue for me, I have lost friends to suicide and suffered greatly with my own mental health, and sadly this is not unique. I am not ashamed to admit that I have struggled; mental health is a part of whole health and at times I believe we all suffer.
"For me the priority now is to ensure that every person experiencing difficulty is supported; whether that's access to talk-therapy, or psychiatric availability in times of crisis. As a county we have been failed to date and denied these crucial services. We have been reliant on local charity providers, whose commitments to our communities will never go unnoticed, but it's time for the HSE to step up."
Describing the rest of the committee as 'incredibly strong members, many of whom have experienced their own suffering', Cllr O'Brien said she and the group would now be focusing on delivering what Wexford needs: a 24/7 mental health crisis unit.
'In addition, we will work on other areas of service, including Child Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAHMS) and residential care units. It's time for us to come together now and deliver for the people of Wexford.'
