Tuesday, 16 Jun 2026

Health Services Waiting Lists

Ceisteanna (889)

Sorca Clarke

Ceist:

889. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the average waiting time for CAMHS in each RHA; and the number of children waiting longer than three, six, and twelve months. [45196/26]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As the Deputy will be aware, I visited 21 CAMHS teams nationwide last year to meet with the Regional Executive Officers (REOs) and their staff to focus on improvements to all aspects of Youth Mental Health care, including the specialist CAMHS service. I stressed the need to identify areas where increased activity is needed, and the potential for more innovative approaches to improve service delivery. I also highlighted the importance of filling all approved posts for each CAMHS team to ensure the most effective delivery of services.

I conveyed in my meeting with each Region that reducing the waiting list for CAMHS is one of my main priorities as Minister for Mental Health. The Programme for Government makes several commitments relating to CAMHS, including a commitment to providing additional resources to reduce CAMHS waiting lists.

I subsequently wrote to each REO and to the Chief Executive Officer of the HSE following my visits seeking a plan to improve access to CAMHS services. While significant improvement has been made on many fronts to enhance CAMHS care, particularly in the face of increasing demand and case complexity, the issues of improved access and regional variation need to be addressed as early as possible.

This is particularly the case in light of the significant additional funding I have secured for youth mental health over recent years, including under Budget 2026, and the emphasis I have placed on better outcomes for mental health in the Letter of Determination and under the agreed HSE Service Plan 2026. The objective of improving access to care, and of reducing waiting lists, are core elements of the three year HSE Child and Youth Mental Health Actional Plan published in February 2025.

I acknowledge that the ringfenced waiting list reduction funding of €3 million supported activity in excess of the targeted 1,250 removals across the six Regions. While this is positive overall, there is evidence that the funding allocated could have better targeted the removal of children and young people waiting for extended periods in some Regions. It is concerning also that the overall CAMHS waiting list nationally has remained persistently high, particularly for the HSE Dublin and North East Region and the HSE South West Region.

I therefore recently sought a detailed plan, inclusive of both national and regional targets, to reduce CAMHS waiting lists. I requested that this plan be reported on, at a minimum on a quarterly basis, by the HSE to the Department, and should reflect core CAMHS resourcing and all additional waiting list funding that has been provided in recent years. I expect to receive this plan from the HSE shortly, reflecting both national and regional approaches.

I, and the Government, fully appreciate the very significant improvements that have been made by all CAMHS staff over recent times and the real difference that this has made and will continue to make to many vulnerable children and their families.

I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond direct to the Deputy as soon as possible in relation to the detailed operational information sought.

Health Services

Ceisteanna (890, 895, 897)

Sorca Clarke

Ceist:

890. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the number of presentations to emergency departments involving mental health crises in each of the past five years. [45197/26]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Sorca Clarke

Ceist:

895. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the number of people discharged from inpatient mental health care without a follow-up appointment within seven days, in each of the past five years. [45202/26]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Sorca Clarke

Ceist:

897. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the number of mental health service users who have reported difficulties accessing care outside normal working hours; and the plans to improve crisis response services. [45204/26]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 890, 895 and 897 together.

Crisis mental health supports, including those with 24/7 coverage, are currently provided across a number of settings and services, including hospital based services, out of hours services such as CAMHS on call, and non-governmental organisation services such as crisis phone and text supports, funded by HSE Mental Health Services.

The National Implementation and Monitoring Committee for Sharing the Vision: A Mental Health Policy for Everyone (2020-2030) is currently overseeing a piece of work by the HSE Implementation Group to bring together the range of available out-of-hours and crisis services and supports, with a view to aligning and streamlining supports and identifying any potential gaps in service provision. It is envisaged that this work will form the basis of an Adult Crisis Response Framework. This project is currently in an advanced state of preparation and is expected to be initiated formally before end-2026.

In addition, as Minister, I have overseen the rollout of a range of out of hours supports for people experiencing mental health difficulties as alternatives to Emergency Departments.

Crisis Resolution Services

The model of care for Crisis Resolution Services was developed as a direct recommendation of Sharing the Vision, Ireland’s national mental health policy. It recognises that people who are experiencing a mental health crisis need specialist services to provide timely brief intensive supports to keep people safe.

• Crisis Resolution Teams: These comprise of teams of mental health professionals who work out of hours to meet people in a crisis and provide rapid assessment and intensive intervention. There are 6 pilot Crisis Resolution Teams currently in Galway, Sligo/Leitrim, Cork city (two teams), Waterford City and County, South Dublin/Wicklow, and Limerick.

• Crisis Cafés: Solace Cafes provide a welcoming, non-clinical safe environment in the style of a café where people can go at evenings and weekends. The Cafés provides a range of support for those who needed to use its services including crisis support, signposting, peer support, and community support. The Cafes are now open in Cork City, South Dublin, Sligo, Waterford and Limerck.

Additional funding has been provided for more Crisis Resolution Teams and Solace Cafes in Budget 2026, for Donegal, Kerry and the Midlands (Tullamore/Westmeath).

Suicide Crisis Assessment Nurse (SCAN) Service.

The Suicide Crisis Assessment Nurse (SCAN) service is critically important safety net for people in suicidal crisis and the Minister fully supports the intention within the second Sharing the Vision implementation plan to expand these services to provide full coverage nationwide. These services provide a timely response to requests for assessment of patients in suicidal crisis from GPs, and the assessments often take place in primary care settings.

The SCAN service was originally developed under the National Clinical Programme for Self-harm and Suicide-related Ideation (NCPSHI) which was introduced in Irish public hospital emergency departments in 2014. Primarily delivered by clinical nurse specialists with support from a consultant psychiatrist in each hospital area, the programme supports people presenting with suicidal ideation as well as self-harm.

The model of care for the service envisages a dedicated mental health assessment room within hospitals to provide a more appropriate environment for assessments to take place. Even when the full network of alternative Crisis Resolution Services is in place, we know people in distress will still present to emergency departments for support. Given most acute mental health in-patient units are co-located with our acute hospital network, it’s important people in distress are assessed in clinically appropriate environments when they present for support. I have allocated funding for the recruitment of additional SCAN nurses in 2026.

Specialist Crisis Nurses in hospitals.

Under funding which I allocated in Budget 2026, the HSE will establish specialist nursing teams in the emergency departments of all Model 4 hospitals out-of-hours, made up of Advanced Nurse Practitioners and Clinical Nurse Specialists to support people in crisis. By placing specialist nursing teams in our emergency departments out-of-hours, coupled with the expansion of community alternatives such as crisis resolution teams and crisis cafes, we are fundamentally changing how we respond to the needs of people in distress.

As the PQ raises operational issues, I have also referred it to the HSE for direct reply to you.

Health Services

Ceisteanna (891)

Sorca Clarke

Ceist:

891. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the number of individuals who have accessed free or publicly funded counselling services in each of the past five years; and the associated waiting times. [45198/26]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

The National Counselling Service provides free counselling therapy to adults who experienced childhood abuse or neglect, are former residents of a mother and baby home. They also provide counselling to those with medical cards, through the Counselling in Primary Care service (CiPC).

As Minister I announced €2 million in funding in 2025 to provide access to a suite of new talk therapies and counselling supports specifically tailored for men. Access to the services began from September 2025.

This initiative is embedded within Ireland’s approach to mental health policy implementation. Sharing the Vision – A Mental Health Policy for Everyone, and Connecting for Life, Ireland’s national strategy for suicide prevention, clearly state that talk therapies should be considered a first-line treatment option for most people who experience mental health difficulties.

The funding is targeted at assisting with stigma reduction and to actively encourage men who otherwise would not usually avail of counselling to seek help with their mental health, to assist men in accessing mental health services, and to provide much-needed support for men experiencing a mental health crisis.

In the most recent Budget, I allocated further additional funding of €1m to establish a new talking therapies fund for the provision of community therapy services.

As your PQ relates to an operational issue, it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to you.

Mental Health Services

Ceisteanna (892)

Sorca Clarke

Ceist:

892. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the measures being taken to improve mental health supports in rural communities; and the funding allocated to those measures. [45199/26]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Departmental Expenditure

Ceisteanna (893)

Sorca Clarke

Ceist:

893. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the amount spent on youth mental health initiatives in each of the past five years; and the outcomes used to assess effectiveness. [45200/26]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health (Deputy Mary Butler)

Government has provided record funding of nearly €1.6 billion for mental health in 2026. CAMHS receives approximately €191 million annually, an increase of almost 40% over the past four years. A further €127 million is provided to NGOs, many of which focus on young people.

Under Budget 2026, €10 million was provided to enhance services including to develop a new crisis response pathway for children and young people; to open two new early intervention youth mental health Jigsaw services; to support the digital single point of access for youth mental health services; to develop five new mental health Discovery Colleges for young people; to resource an additional specialist CAMHS eating disorders team and two new Mental Health of Intellectual Disabilities teams for children; and to open an additional 18 CAMHS acute inpatient beds.

It is a priority for me, and for Government, to ensure that children who need services can access them and access them on time. This is in line with our national mental health policy Sharing the Vision, our suicide reduction strategy Connecting for Life, and the HSE Annual Service Plan 2026.

The development of CAMHS in Ireland is underpinned by the current national mental health policy 'Sharing the Vision: A Mental Health Policy for Everyone’ (2020-2030). Where the predecessor to Sharing the Vision, A Vision for Change 2006, was prescriptive on the composition of multi-disciplinary CAMHS teams, Sharing the Vision recognises greater flexibility to better meet evolving change in best practice and to ensure a more responsive approach to local needs and social circumstances that helps achieve improved recovery oriented outcomes.

The HSE is delivering an expansion of mental health service provision overall under Sharing the Vision. This involves analysis of skill mix requirements which in turn, requires comprehensive workforce planning. In addition, reforms under Sláintecare are centred on having sufficient capacity in the workforce and the appropriate configuration of staff and skill-mix, which are integral to improve service delivery, including that for Mental Health.

I established the National Office for Child and Youth Mental Health in the HSE to improve leadership and all aspects of care across youth mental health. The Office published its Youth Mental Health Action Plan in February 2025. This ambitious three year plan for comprehensive reform across all youth mental health services, including the specialist CAMHS service, will deliver services which are safer, effective, easier to access and which offers appropriate support at all levels when needed.

The development of a comprehensive recruitment and retention approach for child and youth mental health services is a key priority within the new Action Plan. This will be achieved through the identification of staffing needs based on local population mental health needs and associated deprivation levels. This work includes projections to inform a youth mental health workforce strategy and implementation plan and will result in more robust retention and focused recruitment strategies. Professional development and training opportunities will also mean teams can upskill to continue to provide excellent, person-centred services for children and young people.

I also undertook a series of visits to all HSE Regional Health Areas to meet with the Regional Executive Officers and their staff to focus on improvements to all aspects of Youth Mental Health care, to identify areas where increased activity is needed, and also areas of innovative and positive service delivery. This includes improving access and reducing CAMHS waiting lists, particularly for those waiting over 12 months. I stressed also the importance of filling all approved posts for each CAMHS team to ensure the effective delivery of services.

National community CAMHS staffing at December 2025 was 861.3 Whole Time Equivalents (WTEs), of which 730.7 were Clinical WTEs. As of April 2026, there were 747 Clinical WTE’s in CAMHS. I allocated an additional 94 posts to youth mental health initiatives under Budget 2026, across crisis response, early intervention, specialist services and inpatient care. Over 2024-2026 inclusive, 220 posts have been allocated to child and youth mental health, making up 34% of all new development posts allocated over this period. I have written to each Regional Executive Officer in the HSE to request that all CAMHS posts continues to be prioritised for recruitment.

I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond direct to the Deputy as soon as possible in relation to the detailed operational information sought.

Mental Health Services

Ceisteanna (894)

Sorca Clarke

Ceist:

894. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the steps being taken to reduce inequalities in mental health outcomes among disadvantaged communities; and the funding committed to those initiatives. [45201/26]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health (Deputy Mary Butler)

The Government is committed to reducing inequalities in mental health outcomes, particularly for disadvantaged and marginalised communities, through work under Sharing the Vision, Ireland’s national mental health policy, and Connecting for Life 2026–2035, the national suicide and self-harm reduction strategy.

Sharing the Vision places the individual at the centre of service delivery and recognises that some groups face a higher risk of poorer mental health outcomes due to socio-economic disadvantage, marginalisation or discrimination. These include people living in poverty, those experiencing homelessness, minority ethnic groups such as Irish Travellers and Roma, refugees and migrants, LGBTQI+ individuals, and others at increased risk. The policy emphasises the need for culturally appropriate, accessible and responsive services tailored to these groups.

Implementation is overseen by the National Implementation Monitoring Committee, including a dedicated Social Inclusion Workstream focused on improving access and outcomes for disadvantaged groups.

In parallel, Connecting for Life 2026–2035 adopts a whole-of-government, public health approach, recognising that inequalities in mental health outcomes are strongly influenced by wider social determinants such as poverty, housing insecurity and discrimination.

Key actions include targeted supports for high-risk groups, delivery of culturally appropriate and trauma-informed services, integration of supports in disadvantaged areas through Sláintecare Healthy Communities, and expansion of community-based crisis responses.

Members of the LGBTQI+ community are recognised as a priority group due to evidence of significantly higher levels of mental health difficulties, including increased rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicidal behaviour.

The HSE National Office for Suicide Prevention (NOSP) funds a range of targeted and mainstream services. In 2024, NOSP allocated over €8.3 million to 21 national NGOs, including organisations specifically focused on LGBTQI+ communities such as LGBT Ireland, BeLonG To Youth Services and TENI.

In addition, mainstream services such as Text About It, Jigsaw, Pieta and Samaritans provide inclusive crisis and listening supports nationwide. Targeted partnerships, including between Pieta and BeLonG To, ensure tailored supports for LGBTQI+ young people.

Further developments include bespoke counselling supports for gender-questioning young people, alongside additional counselling and family supports. These initiatives are informed by evidence and supported by national guidance to promote inclusive and respectful care.

Irish Travellers are also recognised as a priority group, reflecting significantly poorer mental health outcomes and higher suicide rates.

This work is supported through cross-government frameworks including the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy and the HSE’s National Traveller Health Action Plan (2022–2027).

Targeted initiatives include expanded Traveller-specific counselling services, community-based mental health supports, youth-focused interventions, and culturally appropriate suicide bereavement and prevention supports. Delivery is grounded in partnership with Traveller organisations.

Targeted funding supports these measures, including Traveller counselling services, mental health coordinators, youth supports and Traveller-led projects.

A National Traveller Mental Health Specialist Group, established in January 2026, is progressing a dedicated Traveller Mental Health Action Plan to address service gaps, barriers to access and culturally appropriate delivery.

Men are also recognised as a group at increased risk of suicide and lower engagement with services, with targeted measures in place to address stigma and improve access.

The National Counselling Service provides free counselling to adults who experienced childhood abuse or neglect and, through the Counselling in Primary Care (CiPC) service, to medical card holders.

In addition, €2 million in funding was provided in 2025 to deliver a suite of talk therapies and counselling supports specifically tailored for men, with services available from September 2025. These supports aim to encourage men to seek help, reduce stigma, and provide timely interventions for those in distress. This approach reflects national policy, which recognises talk therapies as a first-line treatment.

Women are also recognised as a key priority group where gender-specific factors influence mental health outcomes, including trauma, socio-economic inequality and health disparities.

Under Sharing the Vision, the implementation of the Women’s Mental Health Specialist Group report – “Embedding Women’s Mental Health in Sharing the Vision” is being overseen by the National Implementation Monitoring Committee.

A key measure is the development of a Charter for Women’s Mental Health, which commits services to:

• adopting a gender-aware approach to service delivery and accessibility;

• ensuring trauma-informed practice across all services; and

• improving data collection and analysis on gender and other risk factors for marginalisation.

To support implementation, further guidance is being developed for services, and a Gender-Sensitive Toolkit, in collaboration with the National Women’s Council of Ireland, is due for publication in 2026.

In addition, targeted investment has been made through the Women’s Health Fund, aimed at improving gender-sensitive mental health services, including enhancements to national clinical programmes.

Overall, the implementation of Sharing the Vision and Connecting for Life 2026–2035 provides a comprehensive, evidence-based and whole-of-system approach to reducing inequalities in mental health outcomes. This approach combines mainstream service reform with targeted interventions for priority groups, ensuring that services are inclusive, accessible and responsive to the needs of all communities.

Question No. 895 answered with Question No. 890.

Health Services

Ceisteanna (896)

Sorca Clarke

Ceist:

896. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the current staffing levels of CAMHS teams compared with recommended staffing levels; and the measures being taken to address shortfalls. [45203/26]