Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Some 4,400 young individuals are waiting for support from CAMHS. We are faced with a really stark reminder of the urgency and the immense responsibility we have as a Government in addressing youth mental health issues across Ireland because this number is not just a statistic. It represents real lives in need of immediate attention and the urgent need for reform and for better resourcing across our youth mental health services. We all know someone directly or indirectly affected by this in our local town or village. I see it all the time in my constituency in places like Clondalkin, Lucan, Rathcoole, Newcastle, Saggart, Brittas and Citywest, where parents are struggling to gain access to timely assessments and treatments for their children and teenagers experiencing mental health issues. This, in turn, is causing significant undue stress and worry on the children themselves, their parents and on their wider family. CAMHS, a service whose purpose is to serve as a place of comfort and support for our young people in need, unfortunately now finds itself at a crossroads. While the dedication of the staff working tirelessly within CAMHS is undeniable, the reality we face is one of overstretched resources and ever-growing needs in society. The narrative has become one of frustration among parents and families who, despite calling for action, cannot access timely care for their child or teenage. The knock-on effect is spiralling. The recent independent report by the Mental Heath Commission on CAMHS identified key areas of concern, including inadequate clinical governance; insufficient risk management and a lack of proper oversight and staffing. All of this contributes to a compromised level of care that CAMHS can offer. Echoing these concerns the advocacy group Families for Reform of CAMHS, which represents more than 960 families, has provided extensive testimonials and given voice to the systemic failures that they have experienced within CAMHS. Families for Reform of CAMHS has captured the barriers, anxiety and the fear faced by parents. They tell us parents are afraid to say their child has autism in case of repercussions. Some 85% of respondents said they experienced negative repercussions upon disclosing their child’s condition. Some families have been informally advised against disclosing an autism diagnosis to avoid being excluded from receiving care. That is in 2024 and it is a serious disconnect in our heath service where the very act of seeking help can lead to the exclusion from essential services. That is wrong. I know the Minister of State is doing so much to change that.

Articles published by the Journal of Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology highlight the importance of early mental health interventions. Furthermore, research in the Irish Journal of Medical Science sheds light on another pressing issue, namely the well-being of our psychiatrists and our mental health professionals themselves. They want to help. They want to do a good job for these children. That is what they have trained to do. That is what they have chosen their career to do but they are unable to do so. Their resources are overstretched and this is causing issues around retention and motivation in the system. If our mental health system was a patient, we would have diagnosed it with burnout by now. I welcome the strides being made under the leadership of the Minister of State, including the establishment of the national office for child and youth mental health and the commitment by her and her team to putting in place the no wrong door policy. Those are monumental steps towards ensuring that every young person receives the care he or she needs without unnecessary obstacles or delay.

This year, the Government allocated substantial funding towards enhancing our mental health services. An additional €10 million was secured in January specifically aimed at new developments in youth mental health. CAMHS receives €137 million in dedicated funding annually with an additional €108 million in funding provided to community-based mental health organisations and NGOs. This investment is the cornerstone of the Government’s broader commitment illustrated by the €1.3 billion allocated to the mental health budget since the inception of the Government. That marks a significant increase and reflects the high priority the Government places on mental health. The commitment is underpinned by the collaborative efforts of healthcare professionals and NGOs such as Jigsaw and Pieta and the invaluable insights of families who navigate these challenges daily. As we move forward, this needs to remain top of the Government’s agenda. I acknowledge the Minister of State is doing all she can to make sure it stays there because timely access to mental health service is not a luxury; it is a lifeline and one that could change the trajectory of a young person’s life and that is what we need to always remember.

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