Colette Kelleher (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have a few questions. In our deliberations we will take on board the groups that have highlighted particular risks. Compared with the wider population, people who are LGBT suffer two times the level of self-harm, three times the level of attempted suicide and four times the level of severe or extremely severe stress, anxiety and depression. Young people with intellectual disabilities experience a higher incidence of mental health difficulties and yet they are the ones who cannot access the system because they do not fit in either. It is extraordinary. Mr. Peter Hughes rightly reminded us that approximately 2,500 children will be living in emergency accommodation tonight. What will their mental health be like tonight, what will it be in the future and will we have the tribunals that Dr. Shannon talked about?

The voice the child is critical. It was great to have Ms Arianna Gallagher in here earlier. The idea of an independent advocacy service is one that I fully support. It was brought up by both the ISPCC and the Children's Rights Alliance. We are getting the same messages this afternoon as we got from the mothers during the earlier session this morning. Our children are falling through the cracks, of that there is no doubt, between Tusla, the child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, and in terms of disability where one can be either too young or too old if one is 17 or 18 years of age and, as we heard from Ms. Julie Helen's case studies, one's diagnosis can be either too mild or too severe or one can have autism or a dual diagnosis. I would be interested to hear from Dr. Shannon what a good system looks like, where has he seen it in place and to where can we look for it?

I would ask Dr. Maria Migone if every child and adolescent mental health service is led by a psychiatrist and is that necessary? Is that getting in the way of us getting to grips with the fact that we do not have enough teams in place?

If there was only one item our guests would like us to put in the report, what would that item be?