NO FAMILY SHOULD HAVE TO SUFFER LIKE LOUGHLINS
BALLINTOGHER Parish Priest Fr Vincent Connaughton has urged the Department of Health to do more for the mental health services in this country.
Fr Connaughton made the call during the funeral mass of murder victim Jimmy Loughlin last Wednesday 27 th February.
“We all accept people with physical and mental illness in life,” he said during his homily. He said there were people who were working in this field of illness, “who work day and night in helping others.”
“But can I say today, that no matter what illnesses exist in people’s lives, no one has the right to take away a human life.
“You and I see this happening so often in our society and in other parts of the world.
“The ongoing problem of mental illness should be monitored a little bit more and (ensure) that a follow-up programme would always assure the public that medical treatment is at utmost satisfaction.
“Especially where individuals are placed into community care or community accommodation, I feel today, has to be addressed as a matter of urgency for the safety of our citizens and arising out of this terrible atrocity and violent death of such an innocent young man like Jimmy Loughlin and many others over the last few years in the Sligo region.
“Arising from this terrible atrocity of last Saturday, I now feel today within my heart that there is a greater emphasis for the Department of Health to put more funding into mental health services in this country.
“So that what happened in Sligo last Saturday should never, never, never happen again in our society of Ireland, and that no family should ever have to suffer like the Loughlin family and other families in Ireland today,” he told mourners.