David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I will talk to the Minister of State about dual diagnosis and dual-diagnosis teams. As she will know, this is where a person has a mental health condition and an addiction. As has often been said in this Chamber, A Vision for Change and Sharing the Vision were very good on vision and on setting out what needs to be done. However, the implementation of both plans has unfortunately not been as good. A Vision for Change recommended general community mental health teams, which would have included addiction counsellors. Sharing the Vision expanded specialist mental health services to include people with an addiction who required shared case management. We now have the model of care for dual diagnosis, which is heavily linked to overall mental health services. It includes addiction, primary care, community mental health and specialist mental health services for all involved. The problem is that these services are very significantly under-resourced, understaffed and, at times, at cross-purposes. The model of care recommended 12 teams for adult services and four hubs for young adults and adolescents. I have been working with researchers for the Claire Byrne programme on RTÉ. The Minister of State might have heard some of the programmes they have done on this issue. They have been working with a charity that provides some of these services. To date, only two of those adult teams are in play. They are not even fully operational. There are also two adolescent teams. I put down a parliamentary question and the response I got back was that there is one adult team in the former CHO 3 area but that it will not be fully resourced until the end of 2025. It is the same for the former CHO 4 area, in Cork.

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Again, it will not be fully resourced until 2025. Questions have to be asked. Where are the remaining teams? When will we see those teams rolled out? When will we see all those teams resourced? There is no point in having a vision and a strategy, and telling people we will put 12 teams in place, when only two teams are actually up and running and these are not fully resourced at all.

I will raise an issue in respect of CAMHS because the Minister of State mentioned it a number of times. In her constituency, which is the same as mine, two child and adolescent mental health teams cover Waterford, with two consultant psychiatrists. However, one of those posts is vacant and has been for some time. When will that post be filled? On the waiting times and the number of children who are waiting for CAMHS, 261 children in the Minister of State's constituency of Waterford are waiting for an appointment with CAMHS. It is simply not good enough. The fact of the matter is that all these plans are great, but they are only good and will only work if they are properly resourced. It can be seen that both the dual diagnosis teams and CAMHS are not getting the resources they need. We do not have the staff, which means that people are not getting the care they need.

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