Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Tánaiste has said recruitment is not easy, but there has been a substantial number of resignations. I have referred to Dr. Kieran Moore's comment that the system is "untenable and unsafe". The current president of the College of Psychiatrists in Ireland, Dr. John Hillery, worked with the HSE until earlier this year. He has resigned from it because of his pure frustration at its inability to deal with this issue and lack of interest in doing so. He has said doctors are facing the "moral distress" of not being able to access the resources or care needed to help their patients. He has suggested doctors are finding themselves in "ethically compromising situations" on a regular basis in a system where bureaucracy has "gone mad". The Tánaiste has referred to the difficulties in recruiting consultant psychiatrists and psychologists, but there seems to be no difficulty in recruiting managers. In his evidence to the Joint Committee on the Future of Mental Health Care Dr. Moore said that even though he was a front-line professional, he did not understand the role of managers in counties Waterford and Wexford. It seems that, despite the Tánaiste's words and undoubted personal commitment, the 6,181 children to whom I have referred are facing a stark reality. The prospect of getting them off the waiting lists seems to be very remote. Is bureaucracy more important than treating children? What reassurance can the Tánaiste provide for parents in counties Waterford and Wexford who have not yet been given any information by the HSE on their children's care paths in the coming weeks and months?

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