Ciara Conway (Waterford, Labour)

I am pleased the Minister of State, Deputy Lynch, is present to discuss this issue, on which I have spoken previously. I felt compelled to raise this matter because of the latest report issued by the Health Service Executive which makes very worrying reading. The report shows that almost 250 people aged under 18 years were waiting more than 12 months for mental health services at the end of last year. Demand for services have also increased with referrals to child and adolescent mental health services more than 10% higher in 2011 than in the same period a year earlier.

Under the welcome targets introduced for the child and adolescent mental health teams, 70% of people referred to the service are to be seen within three months. Unfortunately, however, this target is not being met and while the figures are improving, current outcomes are not good enough. A cohort of young people aged between 16 and 18 years fall between two stools because they do not come within the remit of child and adolescent services and are sometimes misplaced in adult services. In some cases, children are detained in adult psychiatric hospitals. I hope this practice will be brought to a definitive end over the lifetime of the Government.

I do not need to tell the Minister of State that a year is a long time in a child's life. Children are being left to cope with difficulties that can hold back their normal development and impact significantly on their education, childhood and future well-being. If they do not receive the services they badly need during this key window in a time of need, it can have serious repercussions for their future development.

In 2011, Barnardos prepared a children's budget in which it noted that community mental health services were slow to recruit staff. I ask the Minister of State to explain the reason for this. In 2010, the child and adolescent mental health service teams had only 41% of the recommended staffing complement. It is shocking that they have less than half the recommended staff level. As of November 2011, some 61 teams were in place nationwide and the resources available for the services were inadequate. The lack of inter-agency co-operation between the child welfare services and juvenile justice system means that highly vulnerable young people continue to slip through the cracks and many opportunities for intervention are missed. As the Minister of State is aware, the earlier the intervention takes place, the better the outcome and the better the life chances for the child in question.

For children living in poverty, access to health care services is hindered by lengthy delays and insufficient resources. Many children wait up to one year for crucial services such as speech and language therapy and developmental checks. I am saddened that child and adolescent mental health services have joined this list. My former colleagues in Barnardos have highlighted circumstances in which children presenting with suicidal thoughts were placed on waiting lists for an appointment with a member of the local mental health team for up to two years. Two days or two weeks can be an eternity for someone in such circumstances, especially a child or young person. A significant improvement is required in this area. This is especially true when one considers that the suicide rate in Ireland for those aged between 15 and 24 years is the fourth highest in Europe. We must all be cognisant of this.

See this speech in context