Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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245. To ask the Minister for Health if the practice of detaining children in adult mental health units fully ceased in accordance with the promises made by the Government in their programme for Government in 2011; the progress made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17621/16]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Programme for Government launched in 2011 undertook to endeavour to end the practice of placing children and adolescent in adult psychiatric wards.

Progress on this issue has been significant, demonstrated by the fact that the number of such admissions in 2008 was 247, 129 in 2011, and was further reduced to 95 last year. This is despite a background of increasing demands on Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services overall. There are a number of reasons why such admissions are made. These include distance from a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services facility, timing of admissions, potential medical issues, potential substance misuse, family concerns and the overall safety of the young person, their family and other service users. The HSE monitors this situation closely with a view to limiting inappropriate admissions as much as possible.

It is the policy of the HSE to provide an age appropriate service, with a significant majority of young people now being treated by a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Teams. There have been some difficulties in recruiting and retaining Specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services staff, particularly Consultant Psychiatrists. This deficit has caused some difficulty in delivering an age appropriate service in some parts of the country, but the Executive continues to address the issue in the context of expanding both community based, and age appropriate residential care, for those under age 18.