Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. It is widely accepted that the Government has prioritised development of all aspects of mental health policy and services. Despite severe financial pressures overall, it has provided significant additional funding of €125 million since 2012 to enable the Health Service Executive, HSE, to implement the long-overdue modernisation of mental health services in line with the strategy outlined in A Vision for Change. In addition, I recently secured a further €35 million to enhance mental health services in 2016. Key to modernising services, in line with current and future demand and best international practice, is reorientation from a clinical focus to developing enhanced community-based provision. Approximately 1,150 new posts have been approved for mental health services since 2012, of which approximately 280 have been allocated specifically to child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, the bulk of which are now in place. However, as in other areas in the health sector, the HSE is experiencing difficulty in recruiting and retaining key staff. Adequate funding for mental health services is not the issue. The HSE mental health division supports timely access to appropriate services to address the mental health needs of all children and adolescents from a preventive care and early intervention perspective. Primary care services are usually the first point of contact for children and adolescents when mental health problems initially present. Primary care refers to health care delivered in local communities by psychologists, general practitioners, GPs, public health nurses, social workers and others in non-specialist settings. Young people's first port of professional support, therefore, will be the primary care system, directly via their GP or other health service professionals.

It is my understanding that there are two whole-time psychologists covering the five County Longford primary care teams and that there are no vacancies on the primary care side in this regard. Community child and adolescent mental health teams are the first line of specialist services for those 17 years or under who are experiencing mental health difficulties. In County Longford there are two psychologists in situ, with no vacancies. However, two additional psychologist posts are being sought by the executive in this area. There are, I understand, two psychologist vacancies in the early intervention and mental health-intellectual disability areas. The former is temporary in nature due to maternity leave, while the latter is a senior clinical psychologist position. The HSE has sought to fill both posts through its national recruitment service, with no success thus far. Some cover is provided in both areas for cases deemed to be urgent. The HSE mental health division is acutely aware of the need to focus on recruitment of front-line staff in the CAMHS and is working closely with the human resources function and the national recruitment service, as well as carrying out international recruitment campaigns to attract candidates to particular specialties or parts of the country. Despite these challenges, the latest figures from the HSE indicate a reduction in the category of those awaiting a CAMHS service for more than 12 months from 479 in March to 214 at the end of September, that is, a decrease of 55%. The number of cases waiting more than three months to be seen has also decreased over the same period. The issue raised by the Deputy will be pursued by the executive in that context. While progress is being made, unfortunately, difficulties are still being experienced, more so in some parts of the country than in others and more so in some specialties than others.

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