Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The engagement during the course of the morning has been an eye-opener, not that we really needed it. The facts and statistics from the witnesses' survey last August are quite frightening. What we have heard about people being referred and having to go private and being referred in again and being told it may not necessarily be appropriate very much reflects an example I have from County Clare where a young person went from pillar to post to try to get a proper diagnosis and proper interventions and this cost the family a fortune. I do not know how other colleagues feel but I think the situation in Clare is worse than anywhere else in the country. Are the witnesses familiar from the work they do with how bad and how difficult it is and how people in the mid-west feel they are completely isolated and completely left behind? I engaged a lot with various parents and it is soul destroying to see how long people are waiting for any kind of intervention in Clare.

For these young people it is the formative years of their lives. We try to achieve something in politics and I just think this is an unholy mess.

The witnesses spoke about the 49 recommendations that would make a difference if they were implemented. I am sure they absolutely would. As Deputy Shortall said in her contribution the three key recommendations would be a start. Is there an example anywhere in the world where the witnesses have seen this done right? Is there any international experience on the ground that is actually working where the witnesses would say if we had this in Ireland, it would be a good model? I believe we are the worst in Europe but surely there is an example somewhere we should aspire to be like and try to implement that particular service.

It is shocking there is no regulation. Everything is regulated. Nursing homes and hospitals are regulated by HIQA and so on. That CAMHS is not regulated is a disgrace as far as I am concerned.