Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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690. To ask the Minister for Health the number of children and adolescents that are in adult psychiatric wards at present; the progress he has made in respect of reducing this number; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36309/13]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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As indicated in the table below, the number of admissions of children and adolescents to adult wards has been reduced from 247 in 2008 to 106 in 2012, a decrease of almost 60%.

Source: Mental Health Commission Annual ReportsIn terms of in-patient child and adolescent services, A Vision for Change recommends the provision of 80 child and adolescent psychiatric in-patient beds nationally. There are currently 39 child and adolescent beds nationally - 12 in Dublin, 12 in Cork and 15 in Galway. A further 8 beds will be commissioned in Cork, and a further 5 beds will re-open in Galway by year end. The second phase of the Child and Adolescent Unit at St. Vincent’s Hospital, Fairview will increase capacity from 12 to 18 beds in Dublin by the end of 2013.

The Linn Dara Child and Adolescent Mental Health Facility at Cherry Orchard, Dublin has recently opened and a number of Child and Adolescent Community Mental Health Teams have moved into the new premises. It is expected that the Day Hospital will be in operation by the end of the year. It is also proposed to construct a 22 bed in-patient facility on the Cherry Orchard site, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2013 / early 2014. In the medium term, by around early 2017, a new 10 bed Child and Adolescent Forensic Mental Health unit will be provided as part of the new Central Mental Hospital campus development.

The basis of Government policy is that improved community based services, coupled with increased bed capacity for this particular sector, will bring to an end the practice of placing children and adolescents in adult psychiatric facilities. The Deputy should appreciate that, due primarily to historic deficiencies in this area and unavoidable circumstances in individual cases until we achieve this goal, where the admission of a child to an adult unit occurs the approved centre is obliged to submit a detailed report to the Mental Health Commission outlining why the admission has taken place. The Commission reviews any such notifications received, and follows up as deemed appropriate. It is my firm intention, as Minister, to ensure that Government commitments to bring about real improvements to the area of child and adolescent mental health services continues, and that admissions of under 18s to adult facilities is eliminated as quickly as possible.