Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am honoured to open the public hearings of the Seanad Public Consultation Committee on children's mental health services in Ireland. These meetings are the second part of a process which began in April with a public invitation to make written submissions to the committee.

On behalf of the committee, I thank all those who sent submissions to it, particularly users of the service, as it can be a distressing and difficult experience for families seeking mental health services. Through these public hearings, spread over two days, we will hear from all facets of the debate in the delivery of child and adolescent mental health services. Through sharing these experiences, the witnesses will set out the reality of those in need of mental health services, and those providing these services as well as from the policy makers. The committee hopes that through this public consolation initiative, we can first, highlight and provide details of the present situation whereby children are being placed into adult psychiatric units; second, analyse the effect on providers of primary and secondary care who seek out of hours and weekend care and on children and families in distress; third, discuss the waiting list for initial assessment under the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, CAMHS, by reference to different CAMHS catchments; fourth, identify reasons for unsustainable waiting lists for mental health services including staffing shortfalls in multidisciplinary primary care centres and the role of child psychiatrists under the Mental Health Act 2001 and the reliance on assessments being approved by child psychiatrists; fifth, look at best practice and the most successful models in mental healthcare for children and adolescents; and sixth, create proposals to decrease waiting lists and streamline inpatient care. Following our two public hearings, a draft report will be prepared for our committee by our rapporteur, Senator Joan Freeman. The committee will review the draft report and publish its final report as soon as possible thereafter.

Today's meeting will consist of two sessions. In the morning, we will hear from the families who are using the service and in the afternoon session, we will hear from advocacy groups and service providers. On behalf of the committee, I welcome the witnesses to this morning's session, Ms Lauren Keogh, Ms Paula Dalton, Ms Louise Walsh, Ms Sinéad McGee and Ms Martina Kelly. They are most welcome and we thank them for engaging with the committee in its consideration of this most important and sensitive topic.

Before we begin, I must advise them that by virtue of 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009 witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to the committee. If they are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and they continue to do so, they are entitled thereafter only to a qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. Witnesses are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and they are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against a Member of either House, a person outside the House or an official by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable. Any opening statements that have been submitted to the committee will be published on its website after the meeting.

I now invite Senator Joan Freeman to make some introductory remarks. I will then invite each witness to make a short presentation to the committee. When the presentations have finished, there will be time for questions and comments from the senators and responses from the witnesses.