Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank everyone for their input. I will probably end up going back over a few things.

The Mental Health Commission carries out an annual review of mental health services in the State. That includes the lack of emergency services and out-of-service care and, as was said, difficulties in primary care. Does the commission cover manning levels and recruitment? I am curious as to whether it looks at all those issues as well. We all know there is a serious lack of different people, whether it is psychiatrists or psychiatric nurses and so on. Is all of that looked at?

The mental health services report highlights an absence of monitoring of certain medications in CAMHS. We are told that 50% of people with intellectual disabilities in Ireland who are on anti-psychotic medication may not have psychotic symptoms. How do we measure that? Is some cognisance taken of this? The experience in some places in the service, particularly hospitals, and it was said that the commission does not cover general hospitals, is that many people seem to be getting a lot of medication, which is not monitored very well and is overused. Is that an experience the commission has come across?

CAMHS are for young people with moderate or severe mental health issues. What is the waiting list for CAMHS at present? It has increased considerably. The number of young people referred to CAMHS has also increased. The issue of the dual diagnosis has already been touched on, for example, a person with a diagnosis of autism and a moderate to severe mental health issue. How is that dealt with? There is a gap and something missing there that the likes of CAMHS does not entertain. Nobody seems to be filling that gap. Has that been looked at? We have all experienced people, both young and older people, being turned away as a result of a diagnosis not being caught. We have seen it in dual diagnosis in mental health in respect of drug-taking on top of mental health issues. We are also seeing it in the case of people with disabilities. What is happening in that field?

Have we made progress on the issue of children going into adult facilities? What has been done, or what has come from the different groups represented here, to try to make the case that it cannot be allowed to continue? What will happen? What is needed and required? It is just not right. Many facilities have not been fully utilised. One of them, possibly Linn Dara, is very underutilised. Does that come under the remit? Does it make representations in that regard? Does it follow up on that?