HSE’s child psychiatric service under fire

DISABILITY groups have said it is “totally unacceptable” that the Health Service Executive cannot provide adequate child psychiatric services because it is spending most of the budget on its statutory obligation to assess all children under the age of five for potential problems.

The Disability Federation of Ireland said that children under the age of five are being given psychological and physical assessments but, once the assessment is complete the service to meet their assessed needs is then not available.

The Inspector of Mental Health Services last week noted that parents of children over the age of five are facing waiting lists of up to two years because the Disability Act made it obligatory that all children under five are assessed.