Niall Breslin and Dr Paul D'Alton delivered a lecture on ‘Leadership and Mental Health' at the RCSI Institute of Leadership Lessons in Leadership' Lecture Series on 9 March 2016. The lecture was delivered to more than 100 health professionals at in the Albert Lecture Theatre at RCSI (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland), 123 St Stephen's Green, Dublin.

Niall Breslin (Bressie) is a campaigner for Mental Health and in January 2016 addressed the Oireachtas Health Committee on the overall attitude towards mental illnesses in Ireland and advocated on the need for rapid change. In 2015 Niall co-founded ‘A Lust for Life' which is a social enterprise with a social mission at its heart. 100% of funds generated are reinvested back into A Lust for Life, with the aim of creating deep and long lasting social change. Niall is also an ambassador for Cycle Against Suicide (CAS) an organisation that seeks to raise awareness and bring support to those dealing with mental health issues. 

Dr Paul D'Alton is Head of Psycho-oncology at St Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin and an Adjunct Lecturer at the School of Psychology at UCD. Paul has been working in the areas of health and education for over 20 years as a psychologist, educator and equality campaigner. He is running as an independent candidate for election to Seanad Éireann and he is standing on the National University of Ireland panel.

Professor Ciarán O'Boyle , Director of the RCSI Institute of Leadership, "We were delighted to welcome Niall Breslin and Dr Paul D'Alton to deliver this 'Lessons in Leadership' lecture. Both speakers are excellent advocates for mental health well-being and we very much enjoyed hearing their viewpoints on mental health and leadership, which is highly relevant to those who work in a healthcare setting."

The RCSI Institute of Leadership is Ireland's only third level institution dedicated exclusively to developing the leadership and management capacity of health professionals. While the Institute is an academic institution, it maintains close connections with the world of healthcare delivery. Its Masters programmes are characterised by flexibility, speed of response, customer service and a blended learning approach that allows students to learn while continuing to work. The Institute has campuses in Dublin, Bahrain & Dubai and it also delivers programmes in Abu Dhabi, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Sub-Saharan Africa.