Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I thank the delegation for the presentation. A number of weeks ago the secretary general of the Psychiatric Nurses Association of Ireland attended a meeting of the committee and painted a very dark picture of mental health services in the State. It was so dark that everybody was flabbergasted at the position on retention and the morale of psychiatric nurses. The report given today is not as damning, but obviously it contains an analysis of mental health services in the State.

I wish to refer to one point on which I want to obtain the delegates' professional opinion. Some of the questions have been answered. With regard to CAMHS beds, early intervention is key to most things medically. When there are waiting times that are completely unacceptable, medically and socially, what is the damage in the short and longer term to a child who is not being seen, with a view to receiving a key mental health intervention? It is completely unacceptable that there are waiting times for essential services. It is a societal issue. In the medical opinion of the delegates what does a delay do to the child and family?