Eamon Scanlon (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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466. To ask the Minister for Health the number of children and adolescents waiting for an appointment for the child and adolescent mental health service in counties Donegal and Cavan; the current waiting times from initial referral in counties Donegal and Cavan; the total number of children and adolescents waiting for an appointment for the child and adolescent mental health service in the State; the efforts being taken to reduce the waiting lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36242/16]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The HSE Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service has been prioritised in new funding made available by Government since 2012, designed to support timely access to appropriate services to address the mental health needs of all children. The emphasis has been on improving integrated and multi-disciplinary care, ranging from early intervention to specialist provision. Additional resources and facilities means that we now have 67 Child and Adolescent Teams, and 3 Paediatric Liaison Teams, supported by 66 operational beds across the country. Details in respect of Waiting Lists for this service are published on the HSE website monthly Performance Reports and the latest available, relating to September last, indicates an overall figure of 2,080 children in this regard.

Further improvements to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service are planned in the context of agreeing and implementing the HSE Service Plan for 2017, arising from the new funding I secured for mental health in Budget 2017. In particular, the Executive will continue to address acknowledged difficulties in recruiting and retaining specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health staff, particularly Consultant Psychiatrists. The detailed information requested by the Deputy, in relation to counties Donegal and Cavan, has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.