President Michael D Higgins has called on schools across the country to show a documentary to students about the impact of suicide on the Irish Traveller community.
The film, which will be aired on RTÉ One tonight, tells the story of 12-year-old Patrick McDonagh from Finglas in Dublin who died a year ago.
Patrick: A Young Traveller Lost features the personal testimonies of his parents.
By sharing their personal story, Patrick's family hope to inspire others to speak up and ask for help when they need it.
The documentary also explores wider challenges faced by the Traveller community and the devastating impact of suicide on those left behind.
Research published in 2015 showed than that 1 in 10 members of the Traveller community in Ireland died by suicide.
Traveller men were seven times more likely to die by suicide than settled men, according to the All-Ireland Traveller Health Study.
Traveller women were six times more likely to die by suicide than settled women.
Complexities of marginalisation
There are increasing concerns over the growing number of young members of the community dying by suicide in recent years.
The RTÉ/Alleycats production includes research by Dublin City University, which shows that 1 in 10 Irish Traveller children experience bullying more than several times a week.
A Traveller Community National Survey conducted in 2017 found that 85% of the Irish public would not have a Traveller as a friend.
Leading Traveller voices from around the country including Senator Eileen Flynn and Director of the Traveller Counselling Service Thomas McCann contribute to the film and delve into the complexities relating to marginalisation and discrimination.
Bernie Power, a Traveller outreach worker from Kilkenny, offers a first-hand account of the inner turmoil of those from the Traveller community struggling with poor mental health and the real-life positive impact of reaching out for help.
President Higgins, who attended an advance screening of Patrick: A Young Traveller Lost a number of days ago, said that while he was familiar with the struggles of the Traveller community "the personal testimonies of Patrick McDonagh's parents, and Bernie Power moved me in a way I find difficult to describe".
"It would be so valuable if all members of the public could see this film, which describes a life lost to bullying. An incredibly talented boy, interested in all aspects of life and full of curiosity, within one year had his life destroyed," he said.
"There are so many reasons I could think of why this film should be seen in every household, and it would be just incredibly valuable if it were seen in every school."
Action plan
It is one year since the Government published the National Traveller Health Action Plan 2022-2027.
The strategy was launched to improve the physical health, mental health, and social wellbeing of the Traveller community.
It was informed by the All-Ireland Traveller Health Study and other official reports, including the report of the Joint Committee on Key Issues Affecting the Traveller Community, and was developed following consultation with representatives of the Traveller community.
However, last month, the Independent Senator Eileen Flynn said the Traveller community felt let down by a lack of Government action in relation to the plan.
She put it to the Minister of State for Mental Health Mary Butler that €300,000 allocated to Traveller mental health services would not cover two good counsellors within the Traveller community.
Minister Butler said she had ring-fenced specific funding in Budget 2024, to provide national coverage for the Traveller counselling service and that next year, for the first time, there would be "national coverage" for Traveller counselling especially in relation to self-harm, suicide ideation and people bereaved by suicide.
Members of the Traveller community are due to protest outside Leinster House next week to highlight the high rates of Traveller suicide and mental health crisis.
Patrick: A Young Traveller Lost will be broadcast tonight Monday 27 November at 9.35pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.
