Specialist Garda negotiators were involved in at least 89 barricades and similar stand-offs this year with about half of those directly related to mental health issues. The National Negotiation Unit has a panel of trained gardai across the country who try to begin a dialogue with the people involved in the stand-off and bring it to a safe conclusion. Last year they were called 98 times and of this year’s cases, 41 were directly linked to mental health issues, often involving people threatening to take their own lives. Justice Minister Helen McEntee said that many of the other 41, described as 'criminal', would have had an underlying mental health issue that would have acted as a contributory factor.