Averil Power (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

What are the priorities? I accept reference has been made to the integration of services. Is there a signal that progress is about to be made in that regard, or are people waiting to hear when the new director for mental health is appointed whether real attention will be given to the area?

What lessons have emerged from the recent projects supported by Headstrong? I did some work with Headstrong and consulted Tony Bates and Orlaith Foley prior to developing the party's policy. We need to have such a model around the country. If we had such services then schools would know how much could be done in the school setting to support children with low-level problems and to create a good environment, normalise talk about positive mental health and get rid of the stigma surrounding mental health issues. We must ensure there are proper community supports with the assistance of projects such as Jigsaw. Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, CAMHS, must be accessible. That is where the big gap appears to be at the moment. I understand children can wait for up to a year for an appointment with a psychologist with CAMHS.

What lessons were learned from the Headstrong initiative in terms of getting integrated services working locally? How did Headstrong get around the challenges and how can we roll out a model around the country? It would be useful to hear from Ms McClorey about Young Ballymun because it relates to a big gap that exists. It is all very well to intervene with a teenager from the age of 12 upwards but, as was correctly pointed out, problems develop much earlier than that - at preschool and primary level - so it is important that we hear that perspective.

I will conclude with a suggestion. It was useful to have the officials from the Department of Education and Skills present but it would probably be more useful for the committee to meet with officials from the Department of Health. The Vice Chairman alluded to this point also. The gap is with regard to the psychological services, as the behavioural aspect of the issue is not covered by the Department of Education and Skills. I would like the committee to arrange a meeting with officials from the Department of Health as a matter of priority.