Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

I am well aware of the matter the Senator has raised on the Adjournment. Staff have also raised with me the issue of the future of this facility and I have made inquiries within the Department of Health and Children about it.

A working group was established by the Department of Health and Children in June 2000 to review child and adolescent psychiatry and to finalise a plan for its future development. The first report of the working group on child and adolescent psychiatric services was presented to the Minister on 1 March 2001. The report contains recommendations on the development of services for the management and treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorders-hyperactivity kinetic disorder – ADHD-HKD – and the development of child – between six and 12 years – and adolescent – between 12 and 16 years – psychiatric in-patient units.

With regard to in-patient units, the working group recommended that a total of seven child and adolescent in-patient psychiatric units for children ranging from six to 16 years should be developed throughout the country. Project teams have been established in respect of the proposed units in Cork, Limerick, Galway and one in the Eastern Regional Health Authority area, at St. Vincent's Hospital, Fairview.