Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his question. It is very valid. He is quite right in saying waiting lists have doubled in the past three years. We have had 33% more referrals and the teams managed to allocate 225,000 appointments last year. I have held a series of round-table discussions in the past month or so, the first of which was with representatives of the HSE, the Department and the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland. The second meeting was in relation to all the NGOs that provide services, and the third was with representatives of the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, and those in primary care and psychology. It concerned disability services and CAMHS. We are exploring different avenues. We have 74 CAMHS teams all over the country but they are not fully staffed. We are asking whether we should reduce the number and ask parents to drive a little further, the aim being to ensure supports will be in place. We are also considering a hub-and-spoke model. Everything is on the table; nothing has been decided. All we want to do is provide the best supports we can for children and their parents. I will engage with the Deputy on this.

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