Fianna Fáil TD Colm Keaveney described Tánaiste Joan Burton as "a cold-hearted technocrat" in sharp exchanges on children's waiting lists for mental health services.
Mr Keaveney said a report revealed that 3,000 “vulnerable children” were on a waiting list, with 400 waiting for longer than one year. “The report is startling and confirms what we have been telling the Government for some time, namely, it has shattered community mental health services for children,” he added.
Ms Burton said when Mr Keaveney was a member of the Labour Party, he had often praised the Government for the priority it had given to children in the context of the verydifficult situation inherited from Fianna Faáil.
“I can remember him on many occasions commenting on how Fianna Fáil, his current party, had cruelly reduced the supports to families in relation to areas like child benefit.”
Ms Burton said the development of child and adolescent mental health services was a priority. An additional €125 million and 150 posts had been provided for mental health services since 2012.
There had also been an ambitious programme of investment in capital resources and improvements, including the opening of new mental health facilities.
“Central to the provision of the primary health care centres has been the actual provision at a local level of mental health services, including mental health services for children and adolescents,” Ms Burton added.
Mr Keaveney said Ms Burton’s response was appalling. “I simply asked her when the Government would cease the practice of admitting vulnerable children to adult wards. She will be aware of high-profile reports last week of inappropriate relationships between staff and service users.’’
Ms Burton said the Government had invested across the board in children and meeting their needs. “The committee and groups which have come together on child and adolescent mental welfare issues have acknowledged the progress that has been made on a number of occasions, including in a report,” she added.
She said the Government would continue, as resources permitted, to expand investment in that area.
