Ms Karina Tropman:

There was a question about CAMHS and how it works. Reforming CAMHS is essential. I was 12 or 13 years old, in my first year of secondary school, when I first met a CAMHS adviser for an evaluation. I was told I was lucky that I was born into poverty because I can appreciate the value of a cup of coffee. I was told there was no way I could be depressed because of my involvement in youth work. The youth work I was involved in through Foróige and things like Gaisce got me involved in my community. It was the one thing keeping me in a positive mental health space. It gave me friends like Ashling whom I have had for years. We have lived together and are now a core group. Ireland's national children's mental health service told me I was lucky to be born into a position like this. It is not acceptable at all. You are just let down time and again. You are promised services and funding. I understand that it is there for the entire youth and people of Ireland. People are promised dates but they should not bother saying that if it is not going to happen. There is no point in filling children, in particular, with false hope that there will be light at the end of the tunnel before discarding them aside. Groups like Gaisce are very important, especially when you feel quite marginalised. I got involved in Gaisce when I first moved to my second secondary school. It was key to developing friendships and relationships with the girls in my year and feeling somewhat wanted or a part of something. It was brilliant. There needs to be more done around prevention when it comes to mental health. The Government needs to look seriously at funding youth work. I have been attending different conferences for years. The young people in Ireland have done nothing but explain how these services benefit us and how they help to prevent decline in our mental health but in 2018 we got a €2 increase in our budget. That is really where the Government needs to look when it comes to preventative work around mental health.