David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 96: To ask the Minister for Health and Children, further to Parliamentary Question No. 623 of 24 September 2008, if she has received a copy of the Waiting List Report on Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services; if so, the policy decisions she will take as a result of the report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32974/08]

John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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A copy of the Waiting List Report on Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services which was completed by the HSE in 2007, was made available to the Department of Health and Children. Government policy in relation to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services is outlined in "A Vision for Change", implementation of which is a matter for the Health Service Executive (HSE). I welcome the fact that the HSE has prioritised the development of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in 2008. In this regard the Service Plan for 2008 includes the completion of eight additional child and adolescent multidisciplinary teams to further support the provision of child psychiatric services.

In relation to in-patient facilities the position is that the HSE expect to provide an additional 18 children's beds in the current year; the provision of these beds will increase the acute bed complement to 30. Four of the additional beds have already been commissioned in St Anne's, Galway, and a further 6 at St Vincent's Fairview and 8 at St Stephen's in Cork will be provided in the last quarter of the year. The HSE also hopes to begin construction on two 20 bedded child and adolescent units — one in Galway and one in Cork — later this year.