There are only three public beds for adults with eating disorders in the State and these have an 18- month waiting list, an Oireachtas committee heard yesterday.
The mother of a young woman with an eating disorder told the joint Oireachtas Committee on Health that as a result it was very important for families of people with eating disorders to have money to buy the treatment they required.
The woman, who did not want to be named to protect her daughter's identity, said the waiting list for the three public beds, which are at St Vincent's hospital in Dublin, was terrible. "In the meantime somebody could be dead."
Dr Liam Twomey, Fine Gael's health spokesman, said there were private beds for those with eating disorders at St Patrick's and St John of God hospitals in Dublin. The Health Service Executive (HSE) should look at contracting these beds.
Catherine Joyce of Bodywhys, an organisation providing support to people affected by eating disorders, said there were "blatant gaps" in the provision of care.
Senator Mary Henry said the mental health service for children and adolescents had not improved in the four decades she was in medicine.
Dr Brendan Doody, a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist with the HSE, said we were a long way from having the necessary services in place.
Martin Rogan, an assistant national director with the HSE, admitted the current level of service provision "struggles" to provide an adequate response.
He also accepted there was a lack of inpatient beds for children and adolescents with mental health problems, but said there were plans for 80 more beds at four centres around the State.