Colm Keaveney (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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147. To ask the Minister for Health to set out the position regarding the continuing practice of admitting children to adult mental health units; the child welfare issues arising from the practice; the rights of children admitted to such units to education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42764/14]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Over the period January to September 2014, there were 211 child and adolescent admissions to mental health inpatient units of which 69 were to approved adult in-patient units. The majority were voluntary admissions with parental consent, and most of these admissions were aged 16 to 17 years. A third were discharged within two days and the remainder within a week of admission. Admissions to adult inpatient units take place only in a situation of extreme urgency or in a crisis situation. Admissions would arise where no adolescent bed is immediately available, or where the requirement for immediate assessment and treatment may justify this, and where the nearest suitable and available Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in-patient unit is a considerable distance away. In individual cases, the presenting needs of the young person who may be nearly eighteen would be a factor in terms of assessment or admission.

There are currently 46 child and adolescent beds operational nationally - 14 in Dublin, 12 in Cork and 20 in Galway, with more planned. Difficulties in recruiting Consultant Psychiatrists have impacted on bed availability in recent months in both Cork and Dublin, resulting in a reduction from 56 beds to the current 46. However, a further 10 beds are due to open in Dublin over the coming weeks.

If there is no public bed available and a bed is required, private in-patient beds are purchased by the HSE in either St. Patrick's or St John of Gods.

In regard to the specific education and welfare issues raised by the Deputy, in the first instance these are the statutory operational responsibility of the HSE, and have been referred to the Executive for direct reply. If he has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, I would ask him to please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.