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

I welcome Charlotte and her mother, Emma, who are mental health youth campaigners, to the Public Gallery as guests of Deputy Martin Browne.

Yesterday, during the debate, the Taoiseach praised the Government for being "extraordinarily diligent and dedicated" in the area of mental health. I will quote the Taoiseach some facts. Under his Government, there has been a 40% increase in the number of children presenting to emergency departments for mental healthcare; more than 4,000 children are waiting for appointments with the child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS; there are fewer CAMHS beds in operation today than there were when the Government was formed; there are over 2,000 young children waiting for an appointment with Jigsaw, some for 20 weeks or more; and there are 10,500 children waiting on primary care psychology, 4,000 of whom have been waiting for more than a year. Does the Taoiseach stand by his comment yesterday or does he accept that his Government has been a complete failure in the provision of children's mental health services?

See this speech in context