Mental health: The lack of progress by the Government on implementing recommendations of a number of reports aimed at improving child and adolescent psychiatric services was yesterday described as "tragic, appalling and deeply shameful" by the Irish section of Amnesty International.
Fiona Crowley, research and legal officer with the organisation, said Department of Health working groups made specific recommendations in 2001 and 2003 aimed at increasing the number of beds for children and adolescents who needed in-patient treatment for mental health problems. They recommended 144 beds be provided but there are still just 20 in the State. "It's not as if the Government didn't know what needed to be done," she said.
Ms Crowley's comments followed the publication of a report by the Irish College of Psychiatrists on the current state of child and adolescent psychiatric services in the State.
Dr Brendan Doody, chairman of the group which drew up the report, A better future now, said one in 10 children and adolescents (some 100,000 individuals) suffer from mental illness severe enough to cause them some level of impairment and one in 50 (some 20,000 individuals) suffer from mental illness which is severe and disabling. But lack of resources means specialists in the area have to prioritise severe cases and others' needs are unmet. Some have to be sent abroad for treatment.
The report recommends an increase in the number of multidisciplinary teams dealing with children and adolescents with mental health problems and an increase in the number of in-patient beds. These improvements require a capital investment of €150 million and extra annual funding of €80 million.
Dan Neville, a Fine Gael TD, launched the report and said resources given to child and adolescent mental health services were "a scandal". Putting into context the money the Irish College of Psychiatrists said was needed, he said €271 million had been spent relocating agriculture laboratories "before the Abbotstown Bertie Bowl was abandoned".
The Department of Health said the future direction and delivery of all mental health services would be considered by an expert group on mental health policy established in 2003 and due to report later this year.