Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour) | Oireachtas source

It is seven months since the Mental Health Commission published its final report on child and adolescent mental health services. Earlier this week, we heard that the Government does not want to regulate CAMHS now, choosing instead to wait until the summer session of the Dáil to introduce its own Bill for that purpose. We do not yet have sight of that Bill. Those of us involved in health matters have gone through a number of years in which complex health-related legislation has been published late in the summer session and has not really been looked at until well into the autumn. My fear is that the same will happen with the Government's Bill.

The Mental Health Commission's report into CAMHS made 49 recommendations. We know that without their implementation, we will continue to see the multitude of crises that have been on display in CAMHS across the country. We have children being lost to follow-up, a lack of monitoring of psychiatric medicines and unacceptable waiting times for all referrals, including high-risk referrals. The word "crisis" is often overused in this House but it is not an overstatement to say that we are at a crisis point when it comes to youth mental health. In fact, we have passed that crisis and are now into an emergency. The issues in CAMHS countrywide have not only jeopardised the well-being of many of our youth but also have undermined the effectiveness of our mental health service as a whole.

As the Minister of State knows, the statistics are stark. Waiting lists for first-time appointments at CAMHS have skyrocketed by 83%, with certain community healthcare organisations, CHOs, experiencing an alarming threefold increase since the Government assumed office. Even more distressing is the nearly 300% surge in the number of children waiting more than a year for a first-time appointment. This statistic is not only unacceptable but also is deeply concerning. Parents and families have been screaming about all of this. Now they have a sense of hopelessness and despair about the prospect of their child getting a service.

The consequences of inaction from the Government will be severe. Mental health issues among our youth are complex. In the age of social media and in the aftermath of the Covid period, we know those issues are growing faster than we can keep up with. We require prompt intervention and comprehensive support for children, not waiting lists that are trebling while families are left feeling isolated. Every day that passes without an intervention exacerbates and compounds the suffering of our young people who are dealing with mental health issues.

A particular issue in our youth mental health services is the treatment people with autism receive or, more accurately, the lack of treatment they receive. People with autism are finding it especially difficult to access mental health services as the mere fact they have been diagnosed with autism is used as a barrier to access. Many of their mental health issues are diagnosed as outcomes of their autism rather than something separate. This is an absolute scandal and an example of children with autism in this country being treated despicably. I have spent all afternoon discussing with principals from all over the country the lack of consistency in the provision of autism units in schools. This is another example of how children with autism are left behind in this country.

The Mental Health Act 2001 is not compliant with the European Convention on Human Rights or the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. We are again lagging behind our counterparts worldwide and especially our European neighbours. Currently, 22,000 children per year are being referred under the Mental Health Act to a service, in CAMHS, that is no longer fit for purpose to deal with that number of referrals. The Government knows this, which is why the reform of the Act is part of the programme for Government. While the sand trickles down the hourglass, it is only now that the Government is stating it will bring forward a Bill in the summer. We know that Bill will not go through in the lifetime of the Government. The families know it. They know their children will not be helped and that CAMHS will not be reformed within the timeframe that is needed.

The purpose of Opposition parties is to hold the Government to account on issues such as this.

We have done so over the past four years, most recently this week with Sinn Féin's Private Members' Bill on the regulation of CAMHS. Unfortunately, the Government voted against that.

Our children deserve better. They deserve a mental health system that is responsive, open, accessible and effective. There is no excuse for delaying the fixing of a service that has been described by the chief mental health inspector, Dr. Susan Finnerty, as "creaking at the seams, with increasing risk to children for whom the service is provided".

I will close by referring to the Minister of State’s comments on the use of language, which struck a chord with me. The first lesson I learned relating to this House when I was preparing speeches for my former boss had to do with wording in respect of suicide. As a first-time speech writer, I wrote a speech that used the phrase “to commit”. I was enlightened and educated in what was the first of many lessons I have had while in Leinster House. It was 13 years ago when I was a staffer. It is always worth repeating that there is always someone out there who is ready to hear the lesson and improve his or her own language. As regards this debate, something that we all need to learn is to use sensitive language and the language of understanding and inclusion.

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