2 February 2022
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
Sinn Féin’s Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire TD has called on the Minister for Health to urgently address the long waiting times for children and young people in Cork accessing mental health services.
The Cork South Central TD was speaking during a debate of Sinn Féin’s motion to protect children and fix children’s mental health services, which was passed in the Dáil last night.
Deputy Ó Laoghaire said:
“The reports from South Kerry CAMHS are deeply alarming. The testimonies given by some parents were shocking. It is truly the stuff of nightmares for parents and families.
“A CAMHS review must happen swiftly, and it must take in all CAMHS services across the country.
“There is not enough accountability for the delivery of mental health services. This must change. In Cork city, mental health services for children and young people are wholly inadequate.
“In my own constituency, South Lee, there are 258 children and young people currently waiting for a CAMHS appointment. 104 have been waiting more than 6 months, with 14 young people waiting over a year to access crucial mental health services.
“That is a dire statistic, without even addressing whether the care these children and young people will get from CAMHS is adequate in the first place.
“CAMHS services in Cork are completely overstretched. We need to completely transform how we deal with mental health services in this State. “