Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Deputies McDonald and Howlin very correctly raised the question of child psychiatric services. I received a reply to a Parliamentary Question on a similar issue in the past few weeks that was very interesting. It concerned the number of children from primary schools, particularly boys, who have been repeatedly referred to accident and emergency departments having self-harmed. To what extent will the programme for Government be able to deal with that issue? Care after the event is a difficult issue, particularly when the same child is repeatedly referred to accident and emergency departments having self-harmed.

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