Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Flynn. I do not accept there is discrimination against children with autism from any CAMHS team. We have to remember that we have 1 million children in Ireland under the age of 18 and only 2% of children will need the support of CAMHS. CAMHS is specifically for young children and adolescents who have a moderate to severe diagnosis of mental health challenges. Mental health services are available to all children in the country but there must be a primary diagnosis of mental health to be seen by a CAMHS team.

It is a multidisciplinary team comprising a consultant psychiatrist, a psychologist, a clinical nurse specialist and mental health nurses, among others. They will make the decision on whether a child is suitable for receiving CAMHS support. If the child has a primary diagnosis of autism and a secondary diagnosis of mental health issues, the CAMHS team will believe that the child is better served in a primary care setting. CAMHS is, first and foremost, a mental health service that supports children who are-----