Tánaiste accuses Sligo-Leitrim TD of ‘bully boy attitude’ in bitter exchange over mental health accountability

Tánaiste Simon Harris accused a Sligo-Leitrim TD of having a “bully boy attitude” during a Dáil debate on Thursday, February 12.

The remark was directed at Martin Kenny of Sinn Féin, after he raised a recent episode of Prime Time Investigates examining the country’s mental health system.

Deputy Kenny referred to the families of Natalie McGuinness and Jimmy Loughlin, who were featured on the programme. Natalie McGuinness died at the age of 23 after being killed by Oisin Conroy in Sligo in 2015. In 2018, Jimmy Loughlin was killed by Richard McLaughlin, who was experiencing a psychiatric episode.

Both Conroy and McLaughlin were found not guilty by reason of insanity and were committed to the Central Mental Hospital. Deputy Kenny told the Tánaiste that the two victims “lost their lives as a consequence of failures within the mental health service.”

“Both families live in my constituency, and I have raised their issues here several times. Many other families who appeared on the programme expressed their frustration at being stonewalled by the system and at not getting any accountability,” he added.

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Deputy Kenny went on to say that people are being failed by the mental health service and accused Minister of State Mary Butler of making fraudulent statements.

“People with mental health issues who approach the system get worse outcomes than they got 20 years ago because the Government closed everything down and replaced it with nothing,” he said, concluding that people are deeply frustrated and annoyed.

In response, the Tánaiste accused Deputy Kenny of making claims not supported by evidence. “Ideally, we stick to not making extraordinarily charged comments about people that are not backed by any evidence,” he said.

“The Deputy can debate me any time in relation to this matter. He should not interrupt me again. He should not do that again. I am not taking this bully-boy attitude. I am speaking; it is my go,” he said, referring to Deputy Kenny speaking beyond his allotted time.

Deputy Kenny later added that the Tánaiste was “stonewalling” the families. The Tánaiste said the mental health service would continue to receive the investment it needs and remain the subject of reform.

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“People are dying,” Deputy Kenny concluded.