Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I begin by commending this excellent Bill, which proposes some things I have mentioned in this House and in committees on many occasions. I also acknowledge the mobilisation of Families for Reform of CAMHS. It has done Trojan work, but its action is a direct result of inaction. We say this quite often in the House, but this inaction has caused major hurt. I was shocked, appalled and, to be honest, sick to my stomach last year when it was revealed that 140 cases had just slipped through the cracks in CAMHS mid west. That is exactly what can happen when you have no external oversight - teams that are stretched beyond the point of breaking and accommodation that is not fit for purpose. What we saw unfold was an exodus of staff from CAMHS. We lost some passionate and hardworking staff, as an internal survey pointed to their own mental health being affected. I have already spoken in the House on many occasions with the Minister of State about the issues of accommodation of CAMHS in east and west County Clare. I will not rehash that tonight. There are many issues of concern with the governance of individual CAMHS teams. These issues need to be addressed at policy level and strategic level. That needs to be done through the central governance of every single CAMHS team in Ireland. I recently met with the team from Jigsaw, which does amazing work across Ireland. However, due to the set-up of CAMHS, it is completely prohibited by CAMHS teams in certain counties from referring to them. I am also deeply concerned that CAMHS does not take referrals for children where the primary diagnosis is autism. That was finally clarified for me in writing by way of a Parliamentary Question. That is shocking, as we also know from the Joint Committee on Autism that children with autism are 28 times more likely to consider suicide.

Approximately 23% of our population is under 18, so when this Government fails one child it fails them all. By refusing to regulate and reform CAMHS this Government is failing approximately 1.2 million young people, their families and future generations. I urge the Minister of State to withdraw the Government amendment and for all Members to support this Bill.

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