Deirdre Clune (Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister for being here to respond on this matter. I raise this issue because this week is national awareness week for eating disorders. I have always had an interest in this area because individuals and families who have been faced with this issue have come to me over the years because they have not known where to turn. The more one gets involved in this area, the more one realises the lack of services there is, although there have been some improvements, particularly with the provision of beds for children and adolescents with mental health issues. Nonetheless, we need greater awareness of this issue and of the need for services at GP and primary care level in the community.

I would like to pay tribute to BodyWhys, an organisation which carries extensive advocacy work in this area. By coincidence, it had a briefing for Oireachtas Members today at which it informed us it had in excess of 300,000 calls last year. This week, BodyWhys has made available a resource for the schools' SPHE programme, entitled, Responding to Eating Disorders and Body Image Issues. This provides information on what an eating disorder is and how it can be recognised. It explains how teachers can recognise them and respond in the school environment and how best to work with the parents of those affected. This will be a valuable resource. The more information we have available, the more individuals, particularly young people, can be helped.

The statistics involved with eating disorders are frightening. The average age for the onset of anorexia is 14 years of age and for bulimia it is 17. However, children as young as nine have been affected by the disorder. Early intervention and treatment are recognised as the most successful method of dealing with eating disorders. It is not only girls who are affected, although 1.2% of Irish girls are at risk of developing anorexia nervosa and 2% at risk of developing bulimia. Males are at risk also, although a smaller percentage of them.

Some €35 million has been ring-fenced for the provision of mental health services in our community. This is part of the programme for Government and the promise was repeated in the HSE service plan. I would like to know how much of this €35 million will be dedicated to services for those with eating disorders and their families.