Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate the Minister of State, Deputy Daly, on his new position. I also congratulate my colleague, Deputy James Browne, on bringing forward this very important Bill. It is clear that our mental health services have been struggling in recent years due to a lack of investment and increasing demand. We have no on-call service in many counties and, unfortunately, Cavan and Monaghan are two of these counties. This is shocking and clearly demonstrates the patchy nature of our mental health services. Vast swathes of the country are left without an effective out-of-hours service. There has been increased demand for these services in recent years. Despite this, we continue to underfund our mental health services. This attitude needs to change, particularly when we consider the demographic changes that Ireland faces in the years ahead. It is vital that the availability of out-of-hours mental health services for children is spread evenly throughout the country. Every child should be treated the same and awarded the same services.

The Mental Health Commission has already highlighted that underinvestment in services for children is one of the factors contributing to the continuing high number of admissions of children to adult psychiatric units. This practice is one which must come to an end. The delivery of 24-hour emergency services for children is fundamental in helping to achieve this. Children and their families find themselves in an unacceptable situation when children must be placed in an adult service. Help and support needs must be readily available.

According to the latest figures released, 47% of all positions promised under the national A Vision for Change strategy remain unfilled. This is 51 posts in the north west alone. I am deeply frustrated by the lack of urgency in adopting and implementing the A Vision for Change policy. This strategy was published more than a decade ago, but we are falling well short of the staffing targets set out in it. The scale of the staff shortages is very worrying. It is becoming obvious that the service is struggling. This will have a major impact on the outcomes for children and teenagers who depend on it. The severity of the staffing shortages in CAMHS is unsustainable and, as a result, children and teenagers are at risk. There is still no out-of-hours service available for young people in the north west, and there is no timeline or target in place for one to be established.

The Minister of State needs to take charge of this situation and fulfil the commitments made in A Vision for Change. The time has come to step up to the mark and deliver the policies recommended in the strategy. There are countless reports of children and young adults seeking support, especially during out of hours periods. There is no one there to help or support them when they need it most. We cannot allow vulnerable children and teenagers to be put aside any longer. We need to see action on this.

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