Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will address a couple of points. The Deputy stated the waiting list had doubled. It has, and there are now 3,900 children on the waiting list, although it reduced in July. What the Deputy did not say is that there were 33% more referrals to CAMHS during the Covid-19 period, that the teams saw 21% more children and that there were 225,000 appointments last year.

It is important to put that on the record of the Dáil.

In response to the Deputy's question on antipsychotic medication, we now have a new clinical lead for CAMHS, which we never had before, namely, Dr. Amanda Burke, who has 30 years' experience. She is an executive clinical director. She took up her post in August and I have met her several times already. As of Monday of this week, we have a new national youth mental health office. That was never the case in the HSE previously. Dr. Donan Kelly took up the post on Monday. I look forward to meeting him next week.

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