James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

My Topical Issue matter relates to the need for the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to address the delays in approving the pathfinder programme for young people with mental health problems. Elaine Loughlin, writing in the Irish Examineron 16 June, reported:

A scheme to help young people deal with mental health issues is being “blocked” by the Department of Public Expenditure, it can be revealed.

Four departments have agreed on how to fund and run a new coordinated “pathfinder” programme for young people with mental health problems. However, it is being held up by Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe’s department.

The Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Jim Daly, is quoted as saying, “A timeline to full implementation cannot yet be agreed as the participating departments have not received final approval from [the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform]”.

I received word today that the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Donohoe, was not going to take this question and had passed it back to the Department of Health. I do not understand that as the question is very clear and concise. It is directed towards the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and asks why it is not approving the programme. I do not understand the rationale for the Minister and his Department deciding they were not going to deal with it. I do not understand how the Department of Health can answer the question on behalf of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and I note that the Minister of State with responsibility for mental health is also not present.

Pathfinder is a hugely important programme but it is sitting there, undelivered. Did the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform explain to the Minister of State who is present today why it was not taking the question? Has it decided that mental health is not important enough for it? Did it even read the question or did its officials just see an issue dealing with health and decide to kick it back? It is the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform which needs to answer the question as to why this programme is being held up. Is it that the Department is too embarrassed at the Government's failure to protect children and young people by making these programmes available? It appears as though the bean counters in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform are saying that children and young people are simply not a priority.

We have seen the consequences of Departments failing to work together in the past. The pathfinder programme sets out a clear way the Departments will work together as they want to. There is a clear plan and structure but it is not being given the funding necessary to deliver. Why is that? We have over 6,000 children on primary care psychology appointment waiting lists and 2,500 children waiting for the child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS. In the south east, as indicated by the Ombudsman for Children at a meeting of the Joint Committee on the Future of Mental Health Care last week, CAMHS is imploding because its psychiatrists are all resigning. We have more than 4,000 children with disabilities waiting for their statutory entitlement to an assessment under the Disability Act and almost 6,000 children and adolescents have been waiting for more than a year for occupational therapy assessment. We have more than 10,000 waiting for more than 18 months for hospital outpatients appointments and we are heading towards 4,000 homeless children.

It appears that the Government has an issue in prioritising children and young people and the pathfinder programme is a clear example of that. Good policies are being put in place, including by the Minister of State present, but it appears that the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is not putting the proper funding behind many of them. The Department and the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, should have been here to address this issue today as it is that Department which is holding up the pathfinder programme, not the Department of Health or the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Finian McGrath.

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