Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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87. To ask the Minister for Health if a mental health information database CAMHS consultant has been recruited to the children's disability network team for Sligo, Leitrim, south Donegal and west Cavan; if there are adequate supports for this role; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9505/25]

Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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I submitted a question on the issue of the MHID CAMHS consultant, but it was wrongly interpreted as referring to a "mental health information database" consultant rather than a "mental health intellectual disability" consultant. The intellectual disability service is required. We raised the issue in the Chamber several times of a child called Maggie in Drumshanbo, County Leitrim, who was referred to the intellectual disability team, which has not existed. The first person recruited - the consultant - to that team was recruited last November and only stayed a week because there were no services other than herself. Now, they are trying to recruit somebody else. This question is about intellectual disability teams and services.

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for his question and for his clarification. Can I clarify the question number?

Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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It is Question No. 87.

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The question relates to the mental health intellectual disability teams, which are different from other teams because they are very small. There may be nine or ten people on an eating disorder or CAMHS multidisciplinary team, for example, but mental health intellectual disability teams can normally, believe it or not, be made up of just one person and some staff to support them. I am disappointed to hear that the person referred to by the Deputy left after a week. This is part of the clinical programmes under CAMHS. There are several clinical programmes. CAMHS received approximately €160 million in dedicated funding in 2024, an increase on €137 million in 2023. We also provided funding of €110 million to various NGOs, with a significant proportion dedicated to supporting young people. Due to how the question was posed - we understood it referred to an "information database" - the prepared answer is not sufficient for what the Deputy is actually asking about. There is investment across all clinical programmes this year, including eating disorders and mental health with intellectual disability. Is the Deputy's question about when that position will be filled again?

Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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The CAMHS issue is an issue across the country. The Minister of State mentioned that it is one of her priorities. I will provide a second example in respect of CAMHS. A family's GP sent a letter to CAMHS to refer a child who needed to get into CAMHS. They received correspondence stating that there was no clinical lead for the CAMHS post in CHO 1, which covers Leitrim, east Sligo and west Cavan. The GP received a letter back saying that the child could not get a place in CAMHS and could not even be put on the waiting list to go into CAMHS. This is the situation across the country, but it is particularly acute in the Sligo-Leitrim region. There is no CAMHS service for any child. The principal in the local school in Ballinamore wrote to me regarding this. They had a child who also needed a referral but was informed that there is no access for the child to go to CAMHS. The letter, which came back to the family, said that if the child's mental health situation deteriorated, they had to go to the accident and emergency services. That is totally inappropriate. The Minister of State has said that this is her priority, but nobody sees that priority on the ground.

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Did that child have an intellectual disability as well?

Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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No.

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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He said "There is no CAMHS service", but that is factually incorrect. There were 223,000 appointments last year for children-----

Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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I will get the letter for the Minister of State.

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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No, no. To be fair, there were 223,000 appointments for young people with CAMHS last year.

Some people who are receiving the support of CAMHS can be in CAMHS for up to four years, for example, and can be seen on a two-weekly basis. I cannot comment on that individual case but we are investing €160 million this year in CAMHS. There are over 80 consultant psychiatrists working across CAMHS. I am not saying there are not challenges because there certainly are but we are investing in CAMHS. If the Deputy wants to give me the specifics, I will look at the case because his question did not lend to a proper answer being provided, as I am sure he will appreciate.

Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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I will come back to the Minister of State with the specifics in respect of the case but the truth is that there are thousands of children across the country who cannot get access to CAMHS. I appreciate that there are more people being recruited but it does not meet the demand or come anywhere near meeting the demand. In team one in the Sligo, Leitrim region, the CAMHS team has no clinical lead. Having no clinical lead means that when a GP refers a child who needs a service, he or she gets a letter back saying "Sorry, there is no service. Go to accident and emergency." If the Minister of State thinks that is a good service being provided by the Government, then she needs to cop herself on.

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy should realise that the clinical lead position is funded and the HSE is currently trying to recruit into it. It is not the case that it is not being funded. The Deputy should not give the impression that we are just leaving one particular area of the country without any support because we are not.

Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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The reality is that it is without support.