Eamon Scanlon (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank my colleagues for giving us the opportunity to speak on this important issue. Child and adolescent mental health services as an issue have been raised several times.

According to A Vision for Change, the number of staff needed for CAMHS in the community healthcare organisation, CHO, 1 area, which is my area, is 108, and at the moment we are 40 people short. That is creating its own difficulties, and while circumstances have improved over the past number of months, it is still an issue. The Minister of State will be familiar with St. Cecelia's school in Sligo, where there are issues as well. A number of young children and young adults need speech and language therapy. Unfortunately, a member of staff is about to go on maternity leave and the school is finding it difficult to get a replacement. Can something be done to encourage people into that type of work? At the moment, people are not available, and that is causing serious problems. If those young children do not get an opportunity to speak with the help of a professional, they will have no chance as they become young adults.

I welcome the new 27-bed unit in progress at Sligo University Hospital. The Minister of State was there today, and I am sorry I could not be, but I had to be here. A commitment for that unit was given to then Minister, Jimmy Devins, and me ten years ago, and I am glad it is progressing.

As Deputy Butler said, no mother or father wants to have to bring an 18 year old child into a mental institution. I once went with a set of parents when they did it, so I know what it is like and what the parents went through at that particular time. It is devastating, both for them and for the person going into the institution.

Another issue relates to parents of children with severe disabilities such as autism and other types of disabilities. These are young adults aged 18, and they need to be placed somewhere because their parents, who are sometimes elderly, are not in a position to care for them. They are not physically able to do it. I am dealing with a number of cases at the moment in my area. I acknowledge that there is a finance issue, and that it is expensive, but some of those parents are in danger. They are not physically able, because these young adults are physically strong and need to be looked after. I wonder if the Minister of State might examine that. Having spoken to the HSE representatives in that area, I know that it is difficult, and that the money for the HSE CHO 1 area for 2019 has been spent already, but he might examine that.

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