Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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173. To ask the Minister for Health for a report on the CAMHS redress scheme established in Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10156/25]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The independent report of the review into Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in South Kerry (the “Maskey Report”) was published on 26 January 2022. The report outlined 35 recommendations to be implemented in South Kerry CAMHS, 33 of which have been implemented to date. The recommendations from the Maskey Report continues to guide service improvements, and have been used to guide the development of the Child and Youth Mental Health Action Plan, published in February of this year.

Following publication of the Maskey Report in 2022, the Government committed to the introduction of a non-adversarial route for children and their families to seek compensation for the shortfall in care received. The nature of state compensation schemes is such that they are defined by clear criteria and terms of eligibility. Such schemes are not defined so as to be discriminatory, but rather to ensure that those who meet the relevant criteria can access the scheme.

To qualify to receive compensation, patients must have suffered harm or injury whilst attending Kerry CAMHS from 1 July 2016 to 19 April 2021, be identified as being affected by the events outlined in the Maskey Report, and have been notified by CAMHS. The original Maskey Report notes that there is no definitive number of people who suffered harm. Therefore, further evidence of levels of harm may be found so that the number of people who are eligible for the scheme may change. However, the terms of the scheme fundamentally remain the same – meeting the criteria of harm as set out by the Maskey Report.

In terms of the Scheme, the latest information available to the Department of Health as of 13 January 2025 indicates:

• Applications to the scheme: 223 applications to the scheme have taken place with initial payments made to 219 applicants, following an applications’ verification process.
• Settlements to date: 73 mediations have taken place to date, with 66 concluding in settlement. 2 of these settlements are to be ruled in the High Court (as they involve minors). All rulings in the High Court from scheme settlements have been ruled successfully so far.
• 2 further cases were awaiting a determination from the mediator. 4 mediations were adjourned and expected to resume, 1 applicant was considering leaving the scheme.
• Further mediations were to take place over coming months.