Government slammed over emergency figures

Over 6,400 children have presented to emergency departments since 2019, according to figures released recently.

The Government has been accused by Sinn Féin spokesperson on Mental Health, Mark Ward TD of failing to protect children’s mental health care .

Deputy Ward was speaking following the figures for children attending Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) emergency departments released to him in response to a parliamentary question.

Deputy Ward said: “This Government is failing our young people in mental health. I have received a parliamentary question response that states over 6,400 children have presented to children’s emergency departments since 2019 and almost 1,000 so far this year with mental health difficulties. These include emergency departments at Connolly, Crumlin, Temple Street and Tallaght Hospitals.

“CAMHS [Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services] waiting lists have reached over 4,400, as of May this year, doubling in the three years this Government have been in office.

“Primary care psychology services have over 16,000 young people waiting for appointments. All of these are leaving parents and young people no other option than to go to an emergency department in a time of mental health crisis.

“Early intervention is key and children are simply not getting this early intervention.

“I recently highlighted children within CAMHS that are high risk for suicidal ideation or deliberate self-harm, as having to wait over 190 days for assessments. We need solutions to this emergency, but every waiting list is going in the wrong direction and that is up.

“Sinn Féin has solutions to the crisis in youth mental health. We have prioritised CAMHS inpatient capacity and to fully resource all CAMHS teams, in our alternative budget.

“We have also committed to develop a liaison psychiatry model of care within our emergency departments to ensure that those in crisis are given appropriate care when they need it.

“Sinn Féin has solutions. The longer this Government is in place, the worst this emergency will get.”

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