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

I acknowledge the Minister of State's response to the Maskey report and how quickly she acted. I also acknowledge that three reviews are being done by the HSE and one by the Mental Health Commission. It is very welcome to have these reviews done. We must remember, however, that before these additional concerns were escalated, there were red flags all over CAMHS. The Linn Dara CAMHS service was supposed to reopen in September and that still has not happened. Inpatient capacity is lower now than it was when the Government took office. Some 4,000 children are waiting on appointments with CAMHS, a 32% increase on the figure for 2021. There are also thousands of children who, despite being referred into CAMHS by a medical practitioner, are deemed ineligible for referral. I hope those children are part of these reviews. A consultant psychiatrist has still to be hired in south Kerry where children are receiving consultations from a doctor in the United Arab Emirates. Children are still facing a cliff edge when they reach the age of 18 and are moved into adult mental health services, despite the recommendation in Sláintecare and A Vision for Change that the age be extended to 25.

I am extremely worried that the Minister of State has not received the reports from the HSE on the concerns that have been escalated by the Mental Health Commission. Is there anything the Minister of State can do to get those reports out? Other people have contacted about this matter. Parents are extremely worried about what is going on in CAMHS.

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