Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)

This is my fifth time responding to a mental health budget. While the Minister of State can mention record budgets all she wants, people want results and I will talk about results. I am going to talk about the Government's legacy in mental health after five years. When it took office, 2,115 children were waiting for CAMHS appointments. Today that figure stands at 3,681, a 74% increase on the Minister of State's watch. Five years ago 223 children had been left languishing for over a year for a first-time appointment with CAMHS. Today, 504 children are waiting for an appointment, a 126% increase on her watch. We have had damning reports into CAMHS by Maskey and the Mental Health Commission. They have pointed to children misdiagnosed, mistreated and lost in the system. Five years ago, there were 72 operational CAMHS inpatient beds and today that stands at 51.

There were only three adult inpatient beds for eating disorders in the State when the Minister took office and, surprise, surprise, today there are still only three adult inpatient beds in the State.

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