Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I accept that. The big issue we have in many areas is that people feel left behind because they do have access to the teams they need and that the CAMHS or other teams simply do not have the resources to provide the necessary services. At the end of the day, all of this is down to funding and resourcing. Many of the problems we come across with CAMHS and adult mental health services arise when people go looking for a service. I have come across situations where a family has brought in a family member who is suicidal and in a terrible state. After a couple of days, they are sent home and told they will have an appointment in two weeks.

The two weeks go past and the person does not turn up for the appointment. What happens? It is written down that he or she must have got better. It is never followed up. In most cases, the person has got worse and is not even able to motivate himself or herself to go to the appointment. There is a big block and a gap in the service there that needs to be filled. If people are being let down, there has to be some comeback. The service must have some responsibility to ensure that people are looked after properly because too often we have come across situations where people have lost their lives in such circumstances, having looked for help but not been given adequate help. I will pass my time on to others.

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