Mary Moran (Labour) | Oireachtas source

On numerous occasions, I have raised the serious matter of the provision of mental health services and psychiatric beds for children and adolescents. It is unacceptable for a child or a teenager to be placed in an adult psychiatric unit. I was horrified to read a report from the annual general meeting of the Psychiatric Nurses Association of Ireland that 76 children and adolescents were placed in adult psychiatric hospitals last year. This is far too many. I implore the Minister responsible for this area to improve the provision of these services. We were told 100 beds would be provided but the Psychiatric Nurses Association of Ireland found there were 66 with only 53 operational. We urgently need a debate on the provision of mental health services and psychiatric beds for children and adolescents, along with the report published by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, yesterday.

I have raised this matter many times on national platforms and locally. Children and teenagers under the age of 18 are not adults and, accordingly, should not be placed in adult psychiatric units. There is also a shortfall in the proper care and consideration for children between the ages of 16 and 18 which needs to be improved.

I have continued to raise this and I ask that we debate it as soon as possible.