I read the report of the north Kerry CAMHS review last night. It paints a picture akin to a Wild West, with no oversight, accountability or support and incredible god-like decisions. There are very serious questions that need urgent answers. How can it be the case, that with such harm done there is not a single full-time psychiatrist in north Kerry at this point in time? How can anyone with confidence go the HSE now and say they want their case reviewed? When there are a number of psychiatrists contributing hours, how can people expect they will be treated seriously? On the actions the Minister set out yesterday, can the Tánaiste assure us there is now a red flag system in real time that will flag anomalous prescribing patterns? On her talk of a new central referrals system, the reality is it excludes autistic children, assessments of need and children under the age of eight. There are serious problems with the central referral system. What assurances can the Tánaiste provide to the families who are currently engaging with CAMHS and the families who will need CAMHS in future years? There is huge concern about the quality of service at the moment.

Sentiment score: 0.08