Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have a number of questions and wish to make some points. I am not sure what experience the delegates have of CAMHS, but I have experience of filling in a referral form and it was like doing a thesis in college. I am torn when it comes to discussions about CAMHS because we need far more resources and bodies on the ground, but there is also a need for complete reform of how CAMHS deals with people. Generally, it is the parent who fills in the form. This means that we do not get the child's opinion in the first instance but the parent's opinion of him or her. The vast majority of parents want the very best for their children, but they do not know their opinions. The thing about mental health is we do not know what another person is going through. It is extremely daunting. For many, it is even difficult to consider in the first instance t hat their child may be struggling or having difficulty and then they are faced with a huge number of forms. After filling them in, they might be invited to a drop-in clinic, which is totally unsuitable.

Perhaps it is different in various parts of the country, but this is not the right way to go about it. People need to be able to speak to a human being to explain what they believe their children are going through. Depending on the age of the child and whether there are additional needs, the children could speak. I understand people will not enter a service immediately, but at least they should receive assistance in trying to access it. I believe it was Ms Charles who made the point about having to have a diagnosis on paper before someone was seen in the first instance. People do not ring CAMHS for information for the good of their health but because it is an important service at that time in their lives, but the way it has been designed is not user friendly. My cynical view is that it was designed in order that people would give up. It puts far more pressure on voluntary systems. In Kilkenny, when people ask us for advice or recommendations, we tend to look towards the voluntary organisations in the area because we know that they will listen, that they are available and that people will not have to ring a number for the following two weeks wondering whether anyone will get back to them. I would like to hear the opinions of the delegates on CAMHS. When we speak about it, we generally talk about waiting lists and needing more resources, which are important. I would like to hear the opinions of the delegates on reforming CAMHS, how their organisations are structured and run and how people access them in the first place.

My next question is about prevention. We could do far more at a school-----