Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

Almost 4,800 children are waiting for child psychology appointments across Cork and Kerry alone, with nearly 2,900 waiting for over a year. These young people are struggling. They have taken the crucial and difficult first step of asking for help and are being denied it. Many of these children are struggling with anxiety and depression and are in desperate need of early intervention before their mental health difficulties get worse. There has rightly been a focus on the shortcomings in the CAMHS service, but we seem to turn a blind eye to the crisis facing primary care psychology. The waiting list in Cork and Kerry has grown by 25% in under a year. In response to a parliamentary question from me, the HSE pointed the finger directly at the Government's recruitment embargo. Half the funded posts in the service are vacant and the HSE cannot recruit the psychologists that are needed.

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