The death by suicide of a teenage girl has thrown gaps in mental health services for young people into sharp relief.

Eight children were admitted to an adult psychiatric unit in Waterford despite multiple warnings to the HSE that the facility is unsuitable for youngsters.

Fianna Fáil's spokesperson on Mental Health, James Browne, says Government funding needs to be managed carefully.

Children as young as nine have contacted a new legal helpline run by the Children’s Rights Alliance.

The body which reviews the deaths of children known to care services has urged the government to address the lack of adequate mental health services after outlining how it has been a factor in some of the cases it has reviewed.

A young woman who was 15 years old when she was allegedly involved in a serious incident during which a young male was stabbed by another person has failed to get a High Court order halting her criminal trial.

"He told me he was unhappy because he was so bold all the time and he wanted to go to heaven so he wouldn't make me sad anymore."

Mental health services are at crisis point as staffing shortages are expected to worsen, a psychiatric watchdog has warned.

There can hardly be an area where hope, where optimism can be such a catalyst for recovery as it is when individuals or families are confronted with mental health difficulties.

There is a commitment to provide an additional €55m for mental health services next year, Health Minister Simon Harris has said.

Some of those working in the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) are “pessimistic” about its future and are frustrated with aspects of how it works.

Almost 2,700 children are now waiting to be seen by the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, with a 10% increase in just one month in the number of young people waiting for more than a year.

Reviews into the deaths of children in care criticise how some cases were allowed to “drift” before meaningful action was taken, and the lack of coordination between social workers and other professionals such as Public Health Nurses and mental health services.

A dedicated mental health phoneline similar to the 999 system is to be established by the end of the year, Fine Gael TD Jim Daly has promised.

WE SAID we would do better. Time and time again, we have said we will do better, writes Joyce Fegan

Overdosing on drugs as a means of adolescent self-harm is a strong predictor of suicide, and understanding the probable triggers can help with prevention strategies.

A mother whose 14-year-old daughter took her own life last month is calling for a self-care programme to be introduced in primary and secondary schools nationwide.

Seventy children of school-going age died by suicide last year as mental health professionals begged for more staff.

Children with acute mental health problems are increasingly presenting to emergency departments because they cannot access an appropriate bed, leading to costly hospital admissions.

Children’s rights groups have marked the fifth anniversary of the passing of the children’s referendum by claiming there is still some distance to go before the rights enshrined in the Constitution are fully vindicated.

A Seanad report laying bare the underfunded state of children’s mental health services has been welcomed by support groups who said its recommendations must be implemented.

Micheál Martin talks to Elaine Loughlin about his demands for supporting the Government, in areas such as the carers’ allowance, class sizes, and youth mental health

The UK mother of a teenage girl who took her own life has criticised the health professionals who "failed" her daughter and said she would never have left her alone if she had been warned she was a suicide risk.

The continued admission of children to adult mental health services is completely unacceptable, according to the Mental Health Commission.

The new Mental Health Minister Jim Daly has admitted services for children with mental health difficulties are “not good enough” and that he is “not happy with them”.

Talks will take place today between the HSE and the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) in an effort to avert the closure of half the beds in the country’s newest inpatient unit for children with mental health disorders.

A survey of parents has backed up figures showing serious delays in families accessing mental and physical health assessments for their children.

Children with significant mental health disorders in Cork and Kerry face far longer waiting times to access specialist mental health teams than anywhere else in the country.