GROWING CRISIS IN MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE NEEDS TO BE URGENTLY ADDRESSED – PAULINE TULLY TD

Sinn Féin TD for Cavan/Monaghan Pauline Tully has called on the Government to urgently address the crisis existing in youth mental health services. Speaking during a Dáil debate on Wednesday of last week, Deputy Tully said that mental health services were in crisis prior to Covid-19, but it was now an emergency situation. Her contribution continued: “The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services and Jigsaw both report an increase in demand of over 40%. Similar increases are relayed to me by community and voluntary organisations working in this area in Cavan and Monaghan.

“There is an over-reliance on community and voluntary services, with the HSE routinely signposting people while neglecting to increase their funding or not providing funding at all to some organisations. “Poor geographic coverage, a chronic staff shortage and the fact that most CAMHS services still operate from 9 to 5, Monday to Friday have led to long waiting lists and to children with complex needs…