Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am very happy to see us returning to normal. As we see the pandemic in the past, evidence is emerging of another pandemic: one in mental health. We need inclusive and responsive mental health services. I welcome the energy the Minister of State has brought to this matter. I know she is prioritising mental health. I am fully aware of the work she is doing. This year will see another record budget of €1.15 billion for mental health, an increase of €47 million on 2021. That specific funding is to enhance child and adolescent mental health services and I cannot overemphasise how vital this is.

Before the pandemic, children and young adults with mental health difficulties were already struggling to access the basic supports needed in order to stay well. Covid-19 has made this worse and those who work in the area report how thousands more people have come forward to access mental health services during this difficult period. Jigsaw, Ireland's main youth mental health charity, has seen a 400% increase in demand since the pandemic began. Children's Mental Health Week takes place from 4 to 11 February. It will be a week in which we recognise how mental health has come to the forefront for children during the pandemic.

The 19% reduction in the number of young people under 18 years waiting more than 12 months to be seen by primary care psychology services, which followed the allocation of €4 million in funding last August, is welcome but much more needs to be done. I agree with the Ombudsman for Children. Placing children and young adults into mental health facilities designed for adults must stop and must never be an option. I know the Minister of State is working on this issue. In 2019, there were 50 such admissions while in 2020, there was 27 such admissions. The latest data from the HSE for 2021 indicate that this year the number of such admissions will be lower than the 2020 rate. We should have no such admissions, but I note this matter is a priority for the Minister of State.

Members have spoken about CAMHS, which has serious issues that need to be addressed. The HSE partnership with SilverCloud on a national roll-out of digital cognitive behaviour therapy is very welcome. While speaking about youth mental-health, I cannot but mention the leaving certificate. While I could not attend the protest organised by the Irish Second-Level Students Union last week, I support the students. Their voices are important. This is about their lives. Significant disruption has been experienced by students who were due to take their leaving certificate examinations in 2022 and we need to engage on this issue as best we can. I welcome the Minister of State's commitment. I know she has have done a lot of work in this area but there is more to do.

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