Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank our guests for their presentations. It is important to thank all those working in mental health services. It is a challenging job and the vast majority of the staff work extremely hard and are dedicated to their job. I saw that when I visited the facility at Sarsfield Court on Monday. The commitment of the staff is superb. It is important to acknowledge that.

I wish to return to the issue of CAMHS in Cork and Kerry. I have raised previously the issue of checks and balances. In the context of the process, there is a team in each area yet the incorrect prescribing went on for four years. It was then identified that the person who was doing this was not a consultant. The issue I have raised relates to where a consultant is in charge and incorrectly prescribes. From the answers I have received to date, I am not satisfied in respect of the checks and balances that are there.

The reply given to me previously stated that there is a team in place there and, therefore, if someone was not managing a patient properly, it would show up. However, in the case of this particular junior doctor, nothing showed up. When it comes to consultants, what checks and balances are now in place in CAMHS teams and what processes will be put in place in that regard?