There is a deeply concerning and worrying direction of travel here. We have around 50% of the recommended beds nationally for CAMHS. That recommendation is contained in the Department's own mental health strategy. We know that CAMHS is already operating at half the capacity that experts said was needed almost 20 years ago. Against that backdrop, the proposed closure of the CAMHS unit in St. Vincent's Hospital in Fairview makes absolutely no sense. Quite frankly, it is alarming. That the CAMHS unit in Linn Dara is due to reopen after four years being closed due to staff shortages is of course welcome. The problem, however, is that the proposed closure of the function of CAMHS in St. Vincent's Hospital in Fairview is being done to staff Linn Dara. Instead of genuinely expanding services, the Department is effectively robbing Peter to pay Paul. I know the Minister of State will tell me about the new children's hospital but there is no timeframe for that, and nor have the 20 beds been budgeted for. The Fairview unit is operational, staffed and delivering care. The families know it and they trust the service there. Yet, there seems to be an intention to redeploy staff from Fairview to Linn Dara. I am informed that so far only two members of staff have agreed to this. We must also remember that St Vincent's Hospital is a section 38 hospital, while Linn Dara is directly managed by the HSE, and those workers cannot be compelled to move. At a time when recruitment and retention is already at crisis point, this approach is reckless.

Sentiment score: -0.02

I have read some statements on this issue which are quite frankly very concerning such as "It will reopen if staff can be recruited". That is literally the job of the Minister of State and her senior Minister. I do not think it is reasonable to expect anybody whose child needs a CAMHS bed to accept that the Ministers may have woken up and suddenly realised they are in government. This is actually their job. Families across the State have endured scandal after scandal when it comes to CAMHS. The Psychiatric Nurses Association described the proposal as inconceivable and I agree. I ask the Minister of State to please to look at this. There is something fundamentally wrong when the State is reliant on beds in a hospital that is not even completed.

Sentiment score: -0.00