Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Máire Devine for raising this important issue, along with the staffing issue and her call for the Minister of State, Deputy McEntee, to engage with the PNA. I shall respond to the latter issues at the end of my response.

The Linn Dara facility is a state-of-the-art child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, inpatient unit. It provides support and services to young people who struggle with their mental health and find it hard to cope with everyday life. Linn Dara consists of two 11-bed units called Hazel and Rowan and a two-bed high observation unit called Oak.

Over the past few weeks, as is normal practice, a number of patients were discharged from Linn Dara's CAMHS unit for clinical reasons. The decision was taken not to refill those beds due to staff shortages. Unfortunately, the decision has left Linn Dara with just half of its 22 beds occupied, and that is the core of the issue. I can assure the Senator that the Government is taking the issue very seriously. The Minister of State with responsibility for mental health, Deputy McEntee, met the HSE last week specifically about this matter and she also visited Linn Dara so the process has started.

I want to assure the Senator that the HSE has confirmed that no young person is discharged from Linn Dara unless deemed clinically appropriate by his or her mental health team. It should be clearly understood that nobody is discharged to allow for a bed to be closed. For those discharged for clinical reasons, dedicated follow-on supports from the community-based CAMH service will be provided, if deemed necessary. The HSE will also make available the CAMH day service, as appropriate in individual cases, to enhance supports for young people and their families.

The core issue that faces Linn Dara, which we must face, relates specifically to staff recruitment and retention difficulties for mental health professionals. Unfortunately, this matter reflects wider health system issues. The problem in this case does not relate to funding availability. Staffing cover has been augmented in recent times through methods such as staff working additional hours, overtime and engaging the services of agency staff.

I assure the Senator that the HSE is exploring every option to maximise the operation of this service, keeping quality and safety to the fore. The HSE has intensified its recruitment efforts. A number of staff have been identified to join the Linn Dara service in the near future but realistically, such recruitment will take some time.

The Minister of State, Deputy McEntee, has told me that she will remain in close contact with the HSE and the management at Linn Dara on this issue. The Senator may rest assured that all efforts will continue to be made to address ongoing service difficulties at Linn Dara. In this context, I urge all relevant health professionals, including those represented by the Psychiatric Nurses Association, to consider working in a modern high-quality CAMHS unit, such as Linn Dara, or other CAMHS units nationally.

I will briefly address the wider issues around mental health services for children and adolescents. It is the policy of the HSE, as reflected in its annual service plans, to provide an age-appropriate mental health service for people under 18 years.Mental health remains a key priority for the Government, underscored by the fact the HSE mental health budget increased from €826 million in 2016 to €853 million this year. That is a substantial increase. The HSE service plan for 2017 commits to further development of child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, including more acute bed provision, better out of hours liaison and seven day a week response services. This is the strategic priority action in the plan against a background where the population of children is expected to increased by around 8,500 over 2016 and 2017, inevitably creating additional demands in CAMHS. Around 18,500 young people under 18 years are expected to attend a CAMHS service this year. That is a great many children. Additional resources and facilities means there are 67 CAMHS teams and three paediatric liaison teams, until recently supported by 66 operational CAMHS beds nationally. Further beds were planned to come on stream as approved staffing posts materialised at local level. However, I acknowledge that difficulties have clearly arisen in recent times in the HSE securing adequate staffing to maintain approved CAMHS capacity, including the Linn Dara unit in Cherry Orchard. I assure Senator Devine that all efforts will be made to continue to address the ongoing service difficulties at Linn Dara.