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

It is like groundhog day. Another month has passed with another record high of young people who are waiting on first-time appointments with child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS. There are now 4,513 young people waiting for a first-time appointment, with 747 of them waiting for over a year. These figures have gone up month on month and year by year. When this Government was formed, there were 2,112 children waiting for an appointment. That figure has risen by 112% in the Government's time in office. Last week, Sinn Féin launched a policy document containing a raft of solutions that are fully costed and endorsed by all stakeholders. Will the Taoiseach accept that there is a crisis in young people's mental health? Will the Government implement the proposals set out in the Sinn Féin policy document?

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