Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

When it comes to the mental health of a child, I am very reluctant to discuss an individual child's situation in regard to mental health publicly. That is a position I have, generally speaking. I do not think it is in the best interests of the child. Parents and others may disagree, but that is my view. These issues evolve. We need to help every child in difficulty. There are issues and I am not saying there are not, but to try to create the impression the €9 million is the be-all and end-all of provision for mental health is wrong. The issue of prevention is important. The Deputy has not acknowledged the impact of social media on young people and children. Talk to any parent in the country and they are extremely worried about the impact of mobile phones and social media on their health. This is not a vanity project but a genuine initiative to do the right thing. It is a once-off expense.

On inpatient beds, as of 1 October, the waiting list nationally to access CAMHS units was two. Of the available 51 operational inpatient beds for CAMHS, 37 were occupied, leaving 14 beds unoccupied. There has been a reduction in the number of young people admitted to adult acute units, from 84 in 2018 to 12 in 2023. That is good progress. The more we can keep out of acute-----

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