Results 401-420 of 8,202 for speaker:Seán Crowe

Written Answers — Department of Health: Mental Health Services (23 Jan 2024)

Seán Crowe: 568. To ask the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) was denied a place on the CAMHS waiting list and was instead referred to charitable organisations; and the reason representations made on his behalf were not answered until the individual had passed their 18th birthday. [2429/24]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Business of Joint Committee (17 Jan 2024)

Seán Crowe: We will go into private session. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Business of Joint Committee (17 Jan 2024)

Seán Crowe: Before we go to the main item on today's agenda, the minutes of the committee meetings on 12 and 13 December 2023 have been circulated to members for consideration. Can members remember that far back? Are the minutes agreed? Agreed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: Families for Reform of CAMHS (17 Jan 2024)

Seán Crowe: The purpose of today's meeting is for the committee to hear proposals from Families for Reform of CAMHS in relation to child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS. To commence the committee's consideration of the matter, I am pleased to welcome Ms Hannah Ní Ghiolla Mhairtín, Ms Gráinne Morrison and Ms Emer Deasy from Families for Reform of CAMHS. I will read a note...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: Families for Reform of CAMHS (17 Jan 2024)

Seán Crowe: Before starting with members, I thank the Sub-Committee on Mental Health, which is a subcommittee of this committee, for its work on this issue. We have met the Mental Health Commission. We have also received a response from the HSE to the report, saying it is mindful of the recommendations. I hope we can highlight and progress some of the issues the witnesses have raised. Deputy Durkan...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: Families for Reform of CAMHS (17 Jan 2024)

Seán Crowe: I need to move on. I thank Deputy Durkan and call Deputy Cullinane.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: Families for Reform of CAMHS (17 Jan 2024)

Seán Crowe: I agree. If at all possible, this is something we should try to follow up on. There is cross-party and non-party support on this issue. Collectively, we all want to see this situation being resolved. The figures are stark and frightening: 81% of the members of Families for Reform of CAMHS who have children with an intellectual disability have no access to any mental service at all. That...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: Families for Reform of CAMHS (17 Jan 2024)

Seán Crowe: I call Deputy Kenny.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: Families for Reform of CAMHS (17 Jan 2024)

Seán Crowe: I am conscious that a number of people are looking to contribute online. I ask them to indicate to the clerk. We will take a comfort break after Senator Kyne's contribution.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: Families for Reform of CAMHS (17 Jan 2024)

Seán Crowe: I now invite a non-member of the committee, Deputy Wynne, to speak. She is very welcome.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: Families for Reform of CAMHS (17 Jan 2024)

Seán Crowe: That is accepted. A number of recommendations have come out of the meeting for the committee to follow up. I also have an input to make. We have been talking about the service, and it is clearly broken. Having worked in the services, I am also conscious that staff are working in extremely difficult circumstances. It would be remiss of the committee were it not to thank all those people...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: Families for Reform of CAMHS (17 Jan 2024)

Seán Crowe: They are doing it out of desperation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: Families for Reform of CAMHS (17 Jan 2024)

Seán Crowe: If we ask the Minister, the HSE and the Mental Health Commission about it when they are in at the committee they all accept that it is not the ideal and that families should not have to go there to get support and assessment in relation to needs. If the system is broken and they have no other alternative, however, that is what people have to do.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: Families for Reform of CAMHS (17 Jan 2024)

Seán Crowe: I am conscious that we have not touched on the inpatient CAMHS beds. There is a situation where we have services and we have the facilities but we do not have the staff to facilitate those. Am I right to say that the target is 130? Is there any update on those figures?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: Families for Reform of CAMHS (17 Jan 2024)

Seán Crowe: I have had situations where people with suicidal ideation turn up at the emergency department and are eventually released and told they will have an appointment in 12 months. Would that be unusual?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: Families for Reform of CAMHS (17 Jan 2024)

Seán Crowe: I know of another case where the child was coming up to the age of 18 and the family felt they were being put on the long finger and being put off. It was suggested that they might go to a private charity. Would that be unusual coming up to that age?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: Families for Reform of CAMHS (17 Jan 2024)

Seán Crowe: I am concentrating on the issues with the emergency departments again. I know of a case of a family where the child, a young adult, was self-harming, suicidal and walking around naked, was showing all the symptoms and it was clearly a breakdown, and there were no supports. They were being released. The family at one stage said they could not take the person back. The option was a homeless...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: Families for Reform of CAMHS (17 Jan 2024)

Seán Crowe: Going back to the issue of key personnel being missing on those teams, I have put this question to various officials and the Minister. How do you recruit for a post where someone will have a workload of hundreds of cases or even a thousand cases? It is impossible to get someone to take on that workload without additional supports.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: Families for Reform of CAMHS (17 Jan 2024)

Seán Crowe: Yes. If we stay silent on an issue, how are people to know there is a problem there? Last of all, the group's survey says one in nine people accesses services through a TD. That is an indication the system does not work because TDs are not the way for people to get medical supports or assessments. It is wrong the system relies on TDs and that needs to change as well. It should happen...