Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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247. To ask the Minister for Health why child and adult mental health services is not extended to adolescents between 16 and 18 years of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17623/16]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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It is the policy of the HSE to provide an age appropriate mental health service. A significant majority of young people are now being treated by a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Team. The operational services and procedures for Child and Adolescent Mental Health are applied to all referrals up to 18 years of age. There have been some difficulties in recruiting and retaining Specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services staff, particularly consultant psychiatrists. Due to these operational, staff recruitment and retention challenges at local level, a number of referrals in the 16-18 year age group are dealt with by local Adult Teams under the appropriate CAMHS procedures. The Executive is addressing this issue on an on-going basis.

There are 67 Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Teams and extra services for special service needs have also been introduced in recent years. The HSE is committed to addressing the service needs of the 16-18 age cohort by expanding the staffing and range of CAMHS team coverage on an ongoing basis, supported by prioritisation of funding from the additional mental health funding allocation in 2016 as outlined in the HSE Mental Health Operational Plan 2016.

Along with expansion of CAMHS team services, the Plan provides for improved collaboration between the Mental Health and Primary Care Divisions in the development of Early Intervention and Counselling services specifically for young people under 18 years of age. Additional funding has also been provided for expansion of Jigsaw Services in Dublin, Cork and Limerick, to complement the existing services funded by the HSE.