Local election candidate focuses on youth mental health at FG Ard Fheis
LOCAL election candidate Darragh McDonald submitted two motions which centred around youth mental health and agriculture at a recent Fine Gael Ard Fheis.
The first motion was heard at the Building Healthy Communities Session and called on the government to address youth suicide in Ireland and to standardise mental health education in schools. It also called for an increase in access to CAMHS services for those who need professional support.
“Mental health challenges and suicide is on the rise in this country. We need to acknowledge that we have not done enough to address this and must urgently put in place the proper supports to both fix the backlogs in our professional mental health services, and also improve education so we can help identify when we ourselves, our friends and our family need professional help,” said Darragh.
The second motion was heard at the Agriculture and Food Session and called on the government to recognise the increased pressure on small and medium sized farms to make a living. The motion also called for a change in approach towards Ireland’s agricultural community with a focus on streamlining regulatory reporting and simplifying incentives for investments in green technology.
“We need to recognise and respect our agricultural community, including farmers and contractors. I’m no farmer, but from canvassing throughout north Wexford, I’ve had the pleasure of talking to many who work in the sector.
“What I’ve seen is a community passionate about our land and their work and, who are far more in touch with the environment than I could ever hope to be. Farmers and contractors are heavily investing in new technology to make their work more efficient and environmentally friendly, we need to properly support these activities,” said Darragh.
He also stated that there is a clear acknowledgement that although the Irish economy is very strong, people are not feeling the benefits of that enough.
“Some groups of people have been left behind in recent years and it’s past time everyone feels in real terms their taxes at work. I look forward to ensuring the government delivers on their promises specifically around law and order, protecting and developing rural communities and addressing challenges in the disability services sector,” said Darragh.
He said his top priority at the minute is the local elections. He went on to say that in regards to a possible General Election run, he’ll go where he can best represent Gorey and north Wexford. “Without success in them (local elections) there is no general election run for me. Like in sport, there are steps in qualifying for the biggest events. Anyone who thinks you can or should go straight to the top without first proving yourself to the electorate is very naive, that type of politics belongs in another generation,” said Darragh.