Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

A response I received to a parliamentary question stated that some children who are accessing the child and adolescent mental health service, CAMHS, in south Kerry were also getting supports through Tusla. Some parents have told me that Tusla representatives often sat in on the consultation between the psychiatrist and the child. Parents of children who were mistreated and misdiagnosed feel that not only did CAMHS fail their children but Tusla did too. It was stated in the look-back review of south Kerry CAMHS: "We did not find clear evidence that the appropriate consent for treatment [of children] had been obtained [by Tusla], and a clear process was not described when we raised this with the social workers on the team." We have heard major concerns about CAMHS in north Kerry, Wexford, Dublin and Cork. I suspect that is only the tip of the iceberg. Will the Taoiseach commit to a full, comprehensive and independent audit of all 73 CAMHS teams nationwide, including Tusla's role, rather than just a prescribing audit?

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