On the development of child and adolescent psychiatric services, which has been a priority in recent years, there has been a significant improvement in the level of service provision. Between 1999 and 2002, additional revenue funding of €13.3 million was allocated to provide for the appointment of additional consultants, for the enhancement of existing consultant-led multidisciplinary teams and towards the establishment of further teams. A further €1.64 million has been provided in 2003. It is my intention to ensure that psychiatric services for children and adolescents, both in-patient and community based, will continue to be prioritised in the context of available resources.