Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chair very much for allowing me to come in. I thank the witnesses for coming in. I have met them before. I want to say thank you to them for the information they provided in their briefings to each of the members because it is excellent and so important. It can be daunting to come in here. I also thank them for the fact that this group is still going. It is a vital platform for families because sometimes issues come up in the Dáil Chamber but can get lost because other issues are coming through. Our guests' group is absolutely necessary to keep that pressure on political representatives who will carry it through to the Dáil Chamber.

There has been much discussion but I just want to touch on the private assessments. I have many constituents coming to me. I am trying to source them but, like that, the gaps in the wait for psychiatrists are a very real thing. For many, it depends on the complexities of their children's issues. Some are not able to get hold of a psychiatrist at all and some are told they must get a referral even though they are paying privately. That also becomes an issue.

On the private assessment, a number of people have come to me who have been able to get an appointment and have paid out a great amount of money but then there is no recognition of that assessment. Even with regard to supports, when it comes, for example, to the domiciliary care allowance, DCA, application, this assessment does not lead to making a successful application or anything like it. This is about the treatment of people with disabilities still not being a priority, or perhaps the policy not reflecting what the reality is. I know our guests have said this 100 times over.

The questions I have for our guests are around the psychiatrists, in particular, the EU directive that they have to move on every six months and not being part of the establishment of a relationship.

I understand that the EU directive is there to protect the psychiatrists themselves. My concern and that of families is how it disproportionately impacts the treatment that children receive. They do not get the opportunity to build a rapport. We have heard the real lived experience of the last meeting being recalled, written or read over and information not being correctly taken down. The witness mentioned the administrative gaps. This is something we have experienced quite a lot of in Clare. We need at least two and possibly three additional CAMHS teams in Clare. There was also an issue around accommodation. While there may be staffing issues in some areas, we had the added issue of there not being a big enough accommodation centre for clinical spaces. That had a severe impact on the service users and the staff. I know that many workers in Clare have left the service because of the strain their mental health was being put under, which seems completely hypocritical, I suppose.

My questions would also be around the gaps. I have mentioned about psychiatrists. This is something that comes up time and again for the witnesses. Is it becoming a more pressing issue now? I feel that it is in Clare, anyway. I would have had perhaps two to five people contact me last year. It is ramping up quite quickly as to those who are not able to get those supports.

It was mentioned that 35% of the organisation's members would like to make a complaint but are afraid to do so in case it affects the care provided. I fully understand. People do not want to be giving out to the people who are supposed to be providing the supports and services. I know a survey has been done. Are people relaying those issues about what their complaints are to the organisation?

I hank the Chair for allowing me to come in. My last question is around the exclusion issue. The witnesses have talked about those with a primary diagnosis. When it came to the pilot CAMHS hub teams, they have been excluded from there. It seems to be a consistent trend, notwithstanding that 85% of those members feel that the diagnosis negatively impacted the service and support. If they are going to be referred to the CDNTs and there is no psychiatrist there, they will not get the mental health supports. I feel this is defeating the purpose of recent announcement from the Minister of State, Deputy Butler. This is a huge concern and it has to be chased up directly with the Minister of State. I have not read the announcement in detail but I have heard that it seeks to point the children in the right direction. Obviously, the witnesses would not be happy with that. We want a commitment for the 49 recommendations. Will that be a sufficient step because that is what we will most likely hear in the Dáil Chamber?