Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have loads of notes, as Deputies can see, but much of what is in them has been covered. I do not think enough time has been provided to debate this utter travesty and absolute emergency. I compliment RTÉ and, more importantly, those who took part in the documentary. How many more documentaries will we have to watch before the country wakes up? I got angry last week when I was told by one of two witnesses who had to appear without prejudice at the Joint Committee on the Future of Mental Health Care that they had been threatened by management for coming here to tell us the truth. We are trying to get to the truth and the root of this issue to stop people from dying. It was reported at the joint committee that 70 schoolgoing kids had died by suicide last year.

If it was a school bus full of kids, it would be on the front page of every newspaper in the country. It excludes 16 to 18 year olds not turning up for school who are more vulnerable.

There is a crisis in CAMHS and I know that the Minister of State will mention staffing and recruitment, but he will have to come to reality. No matter what must be done, I ask him to sit down with nurses, staff, unions and whoever else to get this right. I am dealing with children aged six, eight, 11 and 13 years and can read what is written on their legs. They are going to doctors who cannot refer them to CAMHS. They are told that they are not sick. A number of weeks ago we had the awful case of young Elisha Gault, of which Members are well aware. I would upset the public if I was to relate what had happened to that young girl before she went for help. The system is failing and we should be absolutely ashamed of ourselves. I am very interested in the Minister of State's reply, but we must do something.

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