Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the officials. No doubt they will get another parliamentary question from me just before. That is great.

The crisis relating to mental health continues to escalate. While I hear that everybody is striving to reduce waiting lists and make matters better, I am very concerned at the levels of and escalation in anxiety, especially among children and young teens. Children are refusing to attend school or are not able to do so because of their anxiety. There is also the matter of life-threatening eating disorders. Anorexia is clearly on the rise. I had an incident during the summer where a teenager was kept in one of our general hospitals for more than 30 days before I intervened and had her removed to the Linn Dara facility. Such was the extreme nature of her condition by the time she was referred, she is still there. What surprised me greatly was Linn Dara had up to 12 beds vacant but no staff. All these issues are adding to parents' anxiety and families being affected and there are multiple situations developing from what can only be regarded as the lack of early intervention. I posed a series of parliamentary questions before Christmas. We know about the embargo or the work-to-rule, so I really want to know what precise measures are the HSE and the Department taking to address the crisis funding-wise between what should be regarded as parental support between Tusla and the HSE.