Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Recently, I met the Tipperary representatives of the INTO to discuss the organisation's pre-budget submission. I was dismayed to learn there had been a 40% increase nationally in the number of primary school-leaving kids requiring behavioural and emotional assistance during the pandemic. That is a significant increase in the number of children under 12 years who are seeking help. Securing the appropriate assessments for these children was justifiably viewed by parents and teachers as urgent. However, waiting lists for specialist services prevented many of them from accessing the help and support they needed. The lack of mental health services for children and young people across County Tipperary and the country is a fast-growing crisis. Children in their formative years are being left languishing on waiting lists at a critical time in their development. Services are underfunded, underresourced and unable to cope with demand.

Child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, has waiting lists in all parts of the country. In February of this year, numbers had risen to 4,500. These children's inability to get appointments with mental health professionals has resulted in hundreds of them now taking prescribed antidepressant drugs from their GPs. These medications will mask the symptoms but not address the problem. Statistics show that last year 15,000 prescriptions for antidepressant medication were given to children under 15 years of age.

It is widely acknowledged that children and young people are exposed to mental and emotional overload more than ever. We live in a news-saturated world. Every day, there are stories beamed into our homes of war, death, hunger, conflict, natural disasters, murders and attacks. Many young people are seeing horrendous things happening in their communities. At home, there can be problems over a lack of money, abuse, neglect, domestic violence and drug and alcohol misuse, and sometimes the death of a loved family member. Children are also dealing with day-to-day issues such as bullying at school, cyberbullying, body issues and exam pressure, and also a myriad of other matters that can overwhelm a young mind. When a child is suffering mentally, putting him or her on a waiting list can have detrimental consequences. Such consequences can in fact have a lifelong impact on a child. Our children deserve better than this. We, as adults and elected representatives, have an obligation to our young people to guide them through childhood and support and protect them. Urgent investment is needed in child and adolescent mental health services to expand capacity significantly and reduce the waiting lists.

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