Amnesty ‘concerned’ over children’s mental health services

AMNESTY International Ireland (AII) said it is “gravely concerned” about the lack of adequate mental health services for children in Ireland.

Following reports that 20 children who were placed in the care of the state have died over a six-year period, including five young people who died from drug overdoses and two from suicide, executive director of AII Colm O’Gorman said mental health teams suffer from grave shortages in basic staffing.

“New, child-appropriate, facilities have been promised since expert group reports in 2001 and 2003, and four were promised in A Vision for Change, but none have yet begun construction,” he said.