Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Again, I am stepping in for the Minister of State, Deputy Butler. I do not think anyone is sticking their head in the sand. As I outlined, there was a 33% increase in demand for services and a 21% increase in the number of new cases. That is a substantial increase. The Deputy said people had their heads in the sand. The number of people working in this area has increased substantially in recent years. The focus for the Minister of State and the HSE is to ensure that children and their families have access to the mental health services that most support their needs, when they need them.

The new HSE office for child and youth mental health will improve leadership, operational oversight and management of all service delivery, including CAMHS. Examples of new service initiatives in 2024 include additional staffing for CAMHS teams, expansion of multidisciplinary CAMHS hubs, development of specialist mental health teams, a new youth mental health app and the development of a central referral mechanism. The latter is being established on a pilot basis in the HSE to make referrals to community paediatric services, including CAMHS, easier to navigate and to ensure that no child is waiting on the wrong list.

I reassure the Deputy that the Minister of State is dealing with this matter. If the Deputy wants to raise specific cases, he can refer them to the Minister of State. I have no difficulty following up on his behalf but I am reassured that, with the level of additional funding and staff put into CAMHS, a comprehensive service is still being delivered. There are glitches in the system from time to time. It is about trying to remove those glitches when they arise.

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