A Sinn Fein candidate for Foyle has pledged to secure better mental health services for Foyle if elected in the upcoming election.
Pádraig Delargy, who was co-opted as an MLA in the previous mandate, said he thought mental health had proved a "huge issue" for the Derry.
Mr Delargy said the improvement of mental health services in the city had become close to his heart after his aunt, Patricia Hughes, 55, who taught English at St Columb’s College in Derry, died suddenly in 2016.
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Speaking to MyDerry in front of a Bogside mural promoting the work of the Lifeline helpline, the Sinn Fein candidate said: "[Better mental health services] in Derry is something that needs to be a priority.
"I have made it a priority since I came into the NI Assembly. I think in this area in particular I've been inspired by the likes of Danny Quigley of Bogside and Bradywell Health Forum and the amazing work they've done.
"I think we've seen local people taking on that leadership and from a political point of view that's what I want to do as well.
"We have already funded £80million per year for a mental health strategy to fully fund that and there is a real need and there is a real need to our communities to make people aware, to provide support but also to show the support that's already there.
"The Lifeline mural was paid for and commissioned by the Sinn Fein in this area, the Martin McGuinness Cumann to make people aware that there is support out there."
He continued: "To talk from personal experience, I lost my aunt Patricia to suicide in 2016 and so for me, there is a real personal connection there. I have worked a lot with Foyle Search and Rescue, Danny Quigley and I organised a 24-hour cycle for PIPS Suicide Prevention in January and we got support from across Derry as well.
"I think in Derry I don't know any family who hasn't been touched by mental health and I think it's something everybody across the political spectrum understands needs to be improved."
Meanwhile, the 26-year-old said he wanted to work with politicians from right across the political institutions from elected on May 5.
"I want to work with other parties," the Sinn Fein candidate said. "I want to work with as many people as possible, people right across Derry and beyond. to improve mental health services in the town.
"I think one of the big things is breaking down stigma. What that looks like in terms of the money spent is facilities such as CALMS, which is providing mental health support for children and young people.
"It's also about getting more nurses, more doctors trained in that and providing that wrap-around care.
"There are so many groups in Derry who are doing brilliant work and I suppose a lot of them are competing for funding and finding it difficult to get funding.
"We want to make sure that those services are sustainable and that there's also statutory services and medicinal provision there if needed as well."
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