Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for taking our Topical Issue matter this evening. I will be begin by wishing him the very best in his new role.

Yesterday, an article in The Irish Times, which the Minister of State might have read, stated that over 2,400 children were waiting for child mental health services. The Minister may ask what that has to do with the Topical Issue matter I raise. I will quote two parts of the article. It states, "Anne O'Connor, national director mental health, HSE, points out that CAMHS was never designed to be a catch-all service, but to cater for children and adolescents with severe and enduring mental illnesses". She goes on, in an extensive article on which I compliment her, to refer to Galway youth counselling services. She states, "Deirdre Bermingham, managing director of Youth Work Ireland Galway, says that in 2011 they identified a gap for the young people they worked with in accessing counselling services". With funds from dormant accounts and the Maureen O'Connell trust they were able to help families. Since 2011, the group has managed to help 800 families, but now they face the closing of their doors.

See this speech in context