Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
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645. To ask the Minister for Health if her Department has considered creating a statutory right to timely mental health care for children under 18 years of age. [26906/25]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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It is a priority for me, and indeed for Government, to ensure that children who need services can access them and access them on time. This is in line with our national mental health policy Sharing the Vision, our suicide reduction strategy Connecting for Life, and the HSE Annual Service Plan 2025.

Year-on-year funding for mental health services increased from €1.3 billion announced in Budget 2024 to almost €1.5 billion in 2025. This represents a 10.7% annual increase. CAMHS nationally receives approximately €167 million annually, with a further €110 million provided to NGOs, many of which focus on youth mental health. Under Budget 2025, an additional €2.9 million will support CAMHS to increase core staffing, develop a new CAMHS Emergency Liaison Service and expand CAMHS Hubs to improve crisis cover for services.

CAMHS is a secondary care specialist service for those aged up to 18 years, who have a moderate to severe mental health difficulty. Access to CAMHS is on the basis of prioritised clinical assessment, in line with the CAMHS Operational Guidelines which are available on the HSE website. All referrals to CAMHS are assessed by a multidisciplinary team. Approximately 2% of the population require support from this specialist service with over 90% of mental health needs requiring treatment in a primary care setting.

I established the National Office for Child and Youth Mental Health in the HSE to improve leadership and all aspects of care across youth mental health. The Office published its new Youth Mental Health Action Plan in February last. This ambitious plan for comprehensive reform across all youth mental health services, including the specialist CAMHS service, will deliver services which are safer, effective, easier to access and which offers appropriate support at all levels when needed.

The three-year Plan sets out a clear roadmap for the Department and HSE to ensure children and families have equitable and timely access to high-quality mental health care, including better links with Primary Care and Disability Services, and greater use of e-mental health responses. My aim is that services will be better connected and easier to navigate, with increased focus on the rights of young people and their families.

The development of a Single Point of Access for all child and youth mental health referrals in partnership with disabilities, primary care, and voluntary and statutory agencies is a key priority within the new Action Plan. This action will ensure children and young people will have improved access to timely, integrated and appropriate mental health services through streamlined referrals and simplified care pathways which will reduce waiting lists.

I recently commenced a series of visits to all HSE Regional Health Areas to meet with the Regional Executive Officers and their staff to focus on improvements to all aspects of Youth Mental Health care, to identify areas where increased activity is needed, and also areas of innovative and positive service delivery. This includes improving access and reducing CAMHS waiting lists particularly for those waiting over 12 months. I have stressed also, the importance of filling all approved posts for each CAMHS team to ensure the effective and timely delivery of services.

The Deputy will appreciate that the provision of health and personal social care services, including entitlement as legislated for, in Ireland is governed by a wide range of Health legislation, and reflected as appropriate in various policies and services. The revision of the Mental Health Act 2001 and the development of a new Mental Health Bill is a longstanding priority of mine and features in the current Programme for Government. It is also a major component of Recommendation 92 of our national mental health policy, Sharing the Vision, and a priority project under Sláintecare.

The regulation of mental health services, adult and children, inpatient and community, is a core policy contained within the Bill. In addition, the Bill provides for an overhauled approach to mental health legislation, providing a more person-centric, human rights-based approach. A new Part of the Bill is also dedicated to the care and treatment of children and young people, which includes the presumption of capacity for young people aged 16 and 17 years to consent to or refuse admission and treatment.

In light of the above, it is not planned to progress the type of proposal raised by the Deputy.