Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. I acknowledge the fact she has raised this several times. The Government remains committed to the development of the Castlerea mental health hub.  This project was announced in June 2020, comprising a new child and adolescent mental health service, called the CAMHS Connect day hospital and a psychiatry of later life day hospital.  In 2020, €800,000 was provided for refurbishment works and staff recruitment by the HSE.  In 2021, 14 posts were approved and €1.4 million allocated for this. Staffing for the CAMHS Connect day hospital includes a consultant psychiatrist, a non-consultant hospital doctor, NCHD, an advanced nurse practitioner, a senior social worker, a clinical nurse specialist, a senior psychologist and an occupational therapist. The consultant, NCHD, advanced nurse practitioner, and senior social worker for this team have been recruited. The remaining three posts are at an advanced stage of recruitment.

Staffing for the psychiatry of later life day hospital incudes a consultant psychiatrist, an NCHD, an advanced nurse practitioner, a social worker, a clinical nurse specialist, a senior psychologist and a senior occupational therapist. All these posts are going through recruitment at present and will be filled as soon as possible. Funding will be allocated to the local mental health service for these as staff are appointed.

The services now available from the CAMHS Connect team are: CAMHS multidisciplinary clinics, including a monthly mental health intellectual disability clinic; diagnostic assessments; cognitive behavioural therapy, CBT, and family therapy; and outreach support, and the CAMHS group work is being run to deliver therapy to young people. I assure the Deputy I will continue to monitor the roll-out of this vital service.

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