Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Tánaiste said it is despicable and disgraceful to conflate the €9 million the Government is wasting on mobile phone pouches with mental health. He should talk to his deputy leader.

In respect of CAMHS mroe generally, we want to reduce waiting lists. They are coming down but not enough. Referrals are increasing signficantly. Some 225,000 appointments for children and young people annually across 77 community teams - that is the scale of CAMHS today. CAMHS has increased significantly from 2011, to 2021 and from 2021 to now and expanded. Referral rates to CAMHS are up 33%. We need to stop preventing children getting to the stage where they ahve

It was Jack Chambers who wrapped this up in a mental health initiative. I put it to the Tánaiste that what is despicable and disgraceful is wasting €9 million when there are 3,641 children waiting on an appointment for child and adolescent mental health services, 504 of whom have been waiting for a year. Under the Tánaiste's watch, the number waiting has increased by 74%. The Government has closed down inpatient beds for those same individuals. That is what is despicable and disgraceful. Ban mobile phones in schools, but do not waste €9 million on a vanity project. Put that money into helping and making sure psychologists and other professionals are there to treat them. There is a crisis in mental health that the Government ignored. There are 18,000 children waiting for primary care psychology assessment.

The Tánaiste did not mention the case I raised at all. These are real crises and real children. These are people who are self-harming or have suicidal tendencies. The Government's brainwave is to come up with €9 million for phone pouches and the Tánaiste defends that to the hilt. Ban mobile phones in schools. Tell them to leave them in the locker. Use the €9 million to put services into CAMHS and help the children who are desperately begging the Tánaiste and Government to make sure there is a hand there when they reach out for help.

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