Maire Devine (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is World Refugee Day today. There are millions of displaced people around the world with no home and no country. I am organising a group of women and men from direct provision to come in tomorrow morning to do a presentation, and it would be great if as many people as possible, or their representatives, could make it to listen to the stories these people have to tell.

I want to go back to the issue of Linn Dara in Cherry Orchard in Ballyfermot. Half the beds there were closed three weeks ago. We have been in negotiations with Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy McEntee. I have been in constant contact with my union, the Psychiatric Nurses Association. There are solutions but they have not been implemented. I imagine that the reshuffle was more of a priority than our children, who have had to attend at accident and emergency departments and wait 24 hours. They are at real risk. My colleague, Deputy Louise O'Reilly, asked some political questions yesterday and received some responses. The figures we received on child and adolescent mental health services are shocking and concerning. Only 53% of the staff deemed necessary to implement a Vision for Change exists in child and adult mental health services.That means 47% of staff are missing and have not been appointed. Adult services are slightly better, if one could say that, as 78% of staff have been appointed. In Dublin South-Central only 52% of child and adolescent mental health staff positions are filled. That cannot continue. How many wake-up calls are needed?

UNICEF launched its report on children yesterday, including children in emotional distress and those with mental health issues. Ireland came 34th out of 37 nations surveyed. A total of 22.6% of children here, aged between 11 and 15, stated they had experienced two or more psychological symptoms in the past or more than once a week. That is shocking and insupportable. The closure of Linn Dara is insupportable and it is shameful. I hope the new Minister of State with responsibility for mental health, Deputy Jim Daly, can be proactive and not sit back and rely on bogus reviews that sit and gather dust. We need to act and there is no time like now. We needed the services yesterday.