Martin’s mental health snub shows FF don’t take issue seriously – Costello

Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin was conspicuously absent from the launch of his own party’s mental health policy today.

In fact, there was a distinct lack of Fianna Fail parliamentarians present at the event at all – just one Senator and one backbench TD bothered to turn up.

This poor showing is not just hugely embarrassing for the party; it also exposes just how little a priority mental health really is for them. Clearly they just don’t take it seriously.

Let’s not forget that Martin was front and centre at the launch of Fianna Fail’s campaign attack ad just two weeks ago, where he was flanked on all sides by a coterie of enthusiastic candidates not to mention his health spokesperson.

Whereas that event was all bells and whistles, today’s launch didn’t even merit a microphone.

It’s also a bit rich that Fianna Fail are complaining about funding for mental health services when their national recovery plan advocated for funding cuts and staff reductions in the health sector.

By comparison, Labour in government ringfenced a total of €160 million for mental health up to the end of 2016, to develop and enhance our mental health services.

Fianna Fail claim today that mental health needs to be a priority for the Government. Perhaps it needs to look in the mirror first, or even just get its own leader on board for the launch of its own policy.

People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.