Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The independent review from the Mental Health Commission makes it clear that the failures identified in Kerry CAMHS last year are, sadly, reflected across the community health organisation network. I heard the Taoiseach say earlier that there is a plan to appoint a clinical lead in this area. I have to put to him that much more than that needs to be done, and done urgently. As with disability services, the ageing out of children and young people once they hit 18 years of age is an issue. There is also the fact that children and young people have been lost in the system, inconsistency in the rates of referral across regional services and a lack of any integrated system. I want to put it to him, in the limited time I have, that funding has to be increased in this area and ring-fenced. We also need new regulations under the Mental Health Act, focused on regulating CAMHS, to include national standards for monitoring the use of antipsychotic medication for children and young people.

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