Maire Devine (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit.

I commend Senator Freeman for tabling this amendment to the Mental Health Act. It is imperative the House supports it and sees it through. Last year, for two days, Members, as well as the Minister of State, heard from parents and professionals on this issue in the House in a public consultation process. We heard the heartache of parents, as well as professionals, trying to access mental health care, as well as the appropriate care, for their children. It was noted in the report from the public consultation process.

We have never prioritised our children’s mental health care needs. Now we are quite surprised at the amount of well-being and mental health issues which have developed over the past generation or so. Accordingly, we need to insert into our public services the assistance and support required to nurture our children, to allow them to grow up confident and to be able to cope with, if not free from, distress or other mental health and well-being issues.

A Vision for Change was published in 2006. I am always moaning about it as most of it has not been implemented. Adult and old age psychiatry services are ticking over but much needs to be done to them. However, child mental health services have not been addressed whatsoever. They are the worst of the worst. Chapter ten of A Vision for Change talks about children. The Ombudsman for Children said we need A Vision for Change dedicated to children. Hopefully, the future of mental health care committee, ably chaired by Senator Freeman, will make recommendations in its report.

Last week the committee heard from the Psychiatric Nurses Association. It described to a gob-smacked room how nurses can only offer a plastic chair as a bed to children in adult psychiatric units. That is obviously the impact of the closure of the Linn Dara child and adolescent mental health service. This is repeated across the country. It is detrimental to a young person, never mind a young person in distress.

Our duty of care is to the children. From the start, it is compromised and health care workers acknowledge their failure to deliver therapeutic care or an appropriate environment for such care. It is unacceptable we are allowing children to suffer in unsuitable environments. Adult psychiatric environments can no longer accommodate children. It is terrifying for them. It traumatises and isolates them and is wholly inappropriate. To echo Senator Freeman's words, it is above all sorrowful.

I support these amendments, as should all Members. I thank Senator Freeman for tabling them.