Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I also extend my sympathy and that of the Labour Party to the family and friends of Michael O’Regan and pay tribute to him. The news of his untimely death is very sad.

I join the call for a debate this week on the aspect of the Children’s Rights Alliance report referred to. This is the third consecutive year in which the Government has received an E grade - an unacceptable grade - in respect of children’s mental health issues. In particular, the report highlights the waiting lists for child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, and the continued practice of having children kept on adult psychiatric wards. That is a failing in the context of one of the commitments contained in the programme for Government. I remind the House that this time last year the biggest news story was the report into CAMHS showing that children and young people had been lost in the mental health system. In one catchment area, 140 so-called lost cases were found within the local CAMHS team. I have the Minister for Health’s statement from January 2023 in which he told the House that the issues with CAMHS were not acceptable and that he was treating them as a priority. One year on, with another E grade from the Children’s Rights Alliance, we need time this week for a debate.

See this speech in context