At-risk teenager’s plight raised by FG

A DEPRESSED teenage girl who overdosed on two occasions cannot get the treatment she needs because of a six-week waiting list for a hospital bed.

The 13-year-old’s plight was raised in the Dáil yesterday following a letter sent by the girl’s mother to Fine Gael’s Health spokesman Dr James Reilly.

The letter was read out by party leader Enda Kenny during leaders’ questions.

In his second-last day of Dáil business as Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern was told that the girl was suffering from “depression and anxiety” and her life was at risk.

Mr Kenny said she could not get a bed in Warrenstown House or St John of God’s, where teenagers with such problems are treated.

He said Health Minister Mary Harney was continuing to “hide behind the Health Service Executive and claim it is its responsibility” but insisted he would continue to raise the plight of individuals encountering problems in the health service.

“Health is not just about economics and statistics. Politics is always about people. I will make no apology for continuing to raise individual serious cases in this house, the forum of the people,” he said.

Mr Kenny challenged Mr Ahern to make attempts to improve the health service before he steps down on May 6. “In the final hours left to him in the powerful position as Taoiseach, will he take the Minister for Health and Children, who has been a loyal servant to him over the years, aside and ask her to direct the HSE, as is within her authority, to produce a plan to reject frontline cuts in services for thousands of patients across the country?

“If he does that before he leaves office, he will have done at least some good given that we have a health crisis being presided over by the Minister for Health and Children who will not accept any responsibility for it but passes the buck continually to the HSE.”

Today marks Mr Ahern’s final day in the Dáil as taoiseach. Under a format agreed by all party whips, time will be set aside for leaders of all parties to pay tribute to Mr Ahern. This will be followed by a five-minute response from him.

The Taoiseach will be away next week when he visits Washington DC for an address to the joint houses of Congress.

He will be present on the following Wednesday, when Brian Cowen, will be nominated as taoiseach.

Mr Cowen will visit Áras an Uachtaráin that evening, where he and his Cabinet ministers will get a seal of office from President Mary McAleese.