Mental health support for FG members

Fine Gael has put in place counselling services for TDs and senators who may be “experiencing difficulties” in their professional or personal lives after the tragic death of minister of state Shane McEntee last year.

Members of the Fine Gael parliamentary party have been told if they feel under pressure from issues such as financial worries, marital separation, or abuse from the public they should approach the party, which will put them in contact with professional counsellors.

The Irish Examiner has learned that Fine Gael’s general secretary, Tom Curran, delivered a “very sensitive” presentation to TDs and senators during their annual think-in in Co Laois, detailing the outside services that have been put in place and how party members can avail of them.

“It was very clear to all present that the reason these support services were put in place was the death of colleague Shane McEntee,” said a TD who was present.

“There’s a view out there that politicians are able to take everything the public throws at us, whether it’s on the doorsteps or online, but, as we all know, life is a lot more complicated than that.”

He said the party felt an obligation to look after its public representatives in the “hothouse” atmosphere of modern politics.

“The view of Fine Gael is that, like any other business, we have a duty of care for our workers and the party is responsible for them,” said the TD. “The fact of the matter is TDs and senators are not sole traders, they are part of the Fine Gael party.”

Another TD in attendance revealed senior members of the party had been contacted in the past few months concerning “a number of incidents relating to difficult encounters and bad times”.

Mr McEntee, 56, minister of state at the Department of Agriculture, took his own life last December.

At his funeral, his brother, Gerry McEntee, hit out at anonymous online attacks on the Meath East TD in the weeks after the budget. He criticised what he described as “the faceless people” who sent anonymous texts and posted criticism on websites.

His comments were greeted with applause from the congregation at St John the Baptist Church in Nobber in Co Meath. Mr McEntee’s daughter Helen retained her father’s seat for Fine Gael in the subsequent by-election.

Last night, Fine Gael chairman Charlie Flanagan said he would not comment as the think-in session was “confidential and private”.

However he did confirm “a series of options, no different from what’s available in ‘corporate Ireland’, have been established to support members of the parliamentary party across a wide range of issues, including safety, welfare, and duty of care”.

While ordinary members of the public with financial worries can face an average wait of four-and-a-half weeks to avail of the Money, Advice, and Budgeting Service, a spokesman said any emergency cases can be dealt with “straight away”.

In June, a leading clinical psychologist warned children suffering mental health difficulties could wait up to a year for specialised treatment from the HSE. Figures until the end of Sept 2012 showed 2,056 young people were waiting to be seen, 160 of whom had been waiting from nine to 12 months.