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

The Children's Rights Alliance recently published its annual report card on progress for children under the current programme for Government. The performance in delivering adequate youth mental health received the lowest grade for a second year in a row. The alliance notes that the Maskey report on child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, in Kerry, and the Mental Health Commission interim report, revealed just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to failings in the provision of mental health services for children and young people. In the year to September 2022, the number of children waiting on their first appointment with CAMHS almost doubled. Figures released to my colleague, Deputy Ward, last week tell us that waiting lists for CAMHS in Kildare, west Wicklow, Dublin west, south city and south west are up 260% since 2020.

It is deeply concerning that very vulnerable children and young people are not able to access an initial appointment. Children and young people continue to be inappropriately admitted to adult psychiatric facilities that are not designed to support their needs. It is welcome that the number of children admitted to adult units last year fell but it remains deeply alarming that Government has decided it will not legislate against this inappropriate practice despite it not aligning - in fact, conflicting absolutely - with the rights of children. I ask the Taoiseach to reconsider the Government's position on this matter and to legislate against this archaic practice.

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