Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Up to €24 million of the €35 million allocated was to be used for recruitment of psychologists, occupational therapists and social workers. Instead, that funding has been put towards the budget deficit. While the recruitment process is ongoing, those people already recruited will not take up their posts until December 2012 or early January 2013. In the meantime, there is a significant deficit of professionals dealing with CAMHS.

The coroner in south Kerry recently stated the area is facing epidemic numbers of suicides. The report on children who died in State care clearly stated that there was no coherent or integrated policy to deal with children and adolescents who were vulnerable. This is an urgent matter and it is not good enough for the Minister to claim he has ring-fenced €35 million when there has been a delay of a year in drawing it down. This will simply plug the hole in the budget deficit as opposed to funding services. Will the Minister agree this is a matter of urgency? Will he also agree that, in the meantime, very vulnerable people are put at further risk because of the lack of an integrated service and available professionals to give them support? On the day the House has passed the Bill dealing with the referendum on children’s rights, at the same time we are pulling resources from them.

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