Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Ward and Sinn Féin for their work on this matter which is, of course, excellent. I ask the Minister of State to ensure that the vacancy for the lead child consultant psychiatrist is put in place. Surely be to God, we can get someone to fill that very important role. We have to ensure proper oversight, governance and clarity in dealing with these matters to ensure the likes of the situation we had in CAMHS in County Kerry will never happen again.

I gave Friday, Saturday and Sunday to meet with parents, not just of the 46 children, but other parents who were in the initial trawl and are still not happy with the investigation to date, nor with the way the situations of their children have been handled. I deal with those cases, case by case, as they have come to me in the past and as they still come to me. My office and I hear harrowing stories from people who have sought access to mental health services but have been unable to do so. Then we have the situation of the people who did reach out, got the service and then the service we provided harmed their beautiful and vulnerable children. It is an outrage of enormous proportions.

The problem we have going forward is around how we will, first, put right the wrong done to those children who in the HSE's words have been damaged. How will we restore confidence to other parents that in the future their beautiful children will not be afraid to access mental health services through CAMHS throughout the country? What will we do to make sure the parents not just in County Kerry, but throughout Ireland, will have confidence restored in the service? If one was the parent of a child who had troubles, how could one feel confident going to the HSE to ask for help?

When it comes to dealing with mental health, it is so important we make the services available. In County Kerry, on a continuous basis, we try to ensure we have proper services available. There is a lack, in particular, of a co-ordinated national system to resolve the crisis situations when they arise.

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