Sorca Clarke
Ceist:16. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the current rejection rate for referrals to CAMHS; and the action she is taking to reduce rejections and ensure timely access to care. [4906/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 22 January 2026
Ceisteanna (16)
Freagraí scríofa
Improving timely access to CAMHS is an issue that I am dedicating significant time and focus to. Over the past six months, I have formally visited with 21 different CAMHS teams, and met with many more informally. I have met with teams from Cork to Donegal, and from Sligo, to the Midlands, and many here in Dublin.
I have invested significantly in CAMHS in the last three years. Ringfenced recurring funding for CAMHS totalled €181m in 2025, an increase of 32% since 2022.
As part of my visits to each team I discussed the challenges they are facing and discussed their productivity and referral acceptance rate. I saw many small teams doing incredible work, and larger teams with poor leadership who could be doing more.
As of the end of November 2025, CAMHS teams across the country delivered over 214,000 appointments, more than the total number delivered in 2024 (213,000).
Referrals to CAMHS increased by 48% between 2020 and 2024. As at end November 2025, CAMHS had accepted 15,257 referrals, 11% more than the same period in 2024.
The average acceptance rate nationally for CAMHS to end November 2025 was approximately 57%. This is in line with previous years, however I have visited teams where this rate has been much lower and I have also visited teams where it has been higher. I have impressed upon regional HSE mental health management that I expect every team to achieving at least the national average.
My intense focus is on reducing the overall waiting list for CAMHS, but in particular reducing the numbers of children waiting over 12 months.
There is some progress being made. The number of children waiting for over 12 months decreased by 18% between April and November last year, from 721 to 590. But we need much more targeted action, and my office is engaged with the HSE to implement specific initiatives to drive down numbers.
I do want to highlight areas that are performing well. Limerick and the Mid-West for example have done brilliant work and reduced their waiting list over 12 months by 90%, and over nine months by 59%. Similarly on a recent visit to Donegal, I was very impressed by the way all of the CAMHS teams there were working collaboratively with all of the mental health services in the county, including the new SCAN U programme for young people. I have also seen really great examples being set in the Lucena and Linn Dara services in Dublin and I want to commend the leadership and the clinicians in those teams for their efforts.
There are now 860 WTE staff working in CAMHS, 730 of whom are clinical.
I have allocated an additional 126 new posts to CAMHS over the past two years, with 68% of these posts filled by the end of October last.
There were also a further 93 vacancies on CAMHS community teams at 10 October last, which is a decrease from 184 in September.
I have written to each of the Regional Executive Officers in the six HSE regional areas to request all new and vacant CAMHS posts be prioritised for recruitment.
I keep a very close eye on the waiting lists and progress in recruitment, and I write to the REOs regularly in relation to both.
I believe young people with suspected ADHD are waiting too long for assessment as CAMHS understandably prioritises urgent referrals.
I held an ADHD roundtable in July 2025 to progress the development of a new model of care for ADHD within CAMHS to streamline assessments and ensure these young people are not waiting excessive periods in the future.
In the meantime, I am working with the REOs in the South West, Dublin & North East and the Child & Youth Mental Health Office to progress immediate solutions to reduce the numbers of young people waiting over 12 months.
I will continue to work with the HSE to ensure that all aspects of youth mental health are improved over this year and beyond.