Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this most important issue. The issue of CAMHS and bed capacity is a serious one, particularly the decision in relation to Linn Dara and the reduction of beds there, due to a range of issues, as the Deputy has said. In the first instance, the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, is working with the HSE intensively to ensure this is a temporary situation and to get it reversed. As the Deputy has said, a number of beds are now not in operation in Linn Dara. The same applies to Merlin Park University Hospital for different reasons. Ten out of 12 beds are operational in St. Joseph's Hospital, and all of the 16 beds in Eist Linn are fully operational.

The regrettable situation in Linn Dara has come about because a number of nursing posts have become vacant simultaneously for various reasons. It is not a resources or a funding issue but a staffing recruitment issue. The nursing complement available through the use of permanent and agency staff is no longer sufficient to continue to provide a full 24-bed inpatient service to a safe standard. That was the basis and the rationale for the decision taken. There are still seven beds available at Linn Dara specifically for the treatment of eating disorders. No young person was discharged early from the unit as a result of the reduced bed numbers.

The reduction in beds at Merlin Park is due to the reconfiguration of two shared bedrooms to single rooms because of Covid, nursing staff vacancies and physical risks associated with some rooms. The two-bedroom reductions in St. Joseph's are due to staff vacancies and physical limitations of the unit, as advised by consultant psychiatrists.

The HSE explored all options prior to making the decision. For example, it looked at redeploying staff from other CAMHS units or teams. It was not in a position to do that, and it did not want to impact negatively on CAMHS community care and the CAMHS community teams, which are a key part of the broader CAMHS programme.

All four CAMHS units nationally will work collaboratively to maximise the use of national CAMHS bed capacity over the coming while. The Minister of State and the HSE will work to intensify efforts to recruit the specialist skills and people for the vacancies that currently exist. To the end of March 2022, there have not been any admissions of under-18s to adult facilities. In 2021, there were 25 such admissions, down from 50 in 2019. That is something that we do not want to see happening within our mental health services, particularly in respect of young people.

Some 91% of urgent CAMHS referrals are now seen within 48 hours. Record funding of €1.149 billion is being provided for CAMHS, which again is up significantly on last year, but it is an issue of recruiting the specialist nursing staff.

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