Frances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)

Today is World Mental Health Day. Since 1992, a specific day has been designated to offer the opportunity to communicate about mental health issues. I raise the issue because worrying information has been published on the website of the Mental Health Commission.

Last year, two 13 year olds were admitted to psychiatric wards, as were six 14 year olds, five 15 year olds and 95 children aged 17. What are we doing admitting young children with mental health problems to adult psychiatry wards in 2007? One can imagine the state of mind of these children when they need admission only to find they are being admitted to an adult inpatient ward.

This raises serious questions about the neglect of mental health services. The report, A Vision for Change, was supposed to be implemented and I would like to get an update on that. A number of inpatient units for children and adolescents were promised, units that are long overdue, and we should be told what progress is being made. The unit in Cork is seven years behind schedule.

The Health Service Executive has written to the Dublin mid-Leinster region stating that the waiting list for child and adolescent psychiatric referrals is two years long and that it will accept only urgent referrals for children who need specialist help. The waiting list is two years long, there are huge numbers of extra referrals and the lack of team resources over a prolonged period, whereby the team is staffed at 40% of recommended levels, means the decision has been taken to close the waiting list.

The Minister said here last week that current cutbacks are not affecting patients. The evidence in the two examples I have given highlights how patients are suffering because of the state of the health service. We should debate these issues.