South Kerry Camhs: Most children affected by over-prescribing now seek compensation

Mental health minister Mary Butler will tell Cabinet today that 230 applications had been made to the State compensation scheme set up in the wake of the Maskey report. File picture

Almost all of the 240 children and young people found to have suffered as a result of over-prescribing in South Kerry mental health services (Camhs) have sought compensation.

Mary Butler, the mental health minister, will tell Cabinet on Tuesday that, as of June this year, 230 applications had been made to the State compensation scheme set up in the wake of the Maskey report.

Of 83 applications which have gone to mediation, 74 have concluded in settlement.

Ms Butler will bring forward a memo detailing the deficits in care identified in the cases of the 240 young people attending services in South Kerry between July 2016 and April 2021.

A separate lookback review into the care of children in North Kerry is being finalised by consultant psychiatrist Colette Halpin.

New special classes 

Helen McEntee, the education minister, will update Cabinet on 400 new special classes to be provided in the coming school year while the vast majority of new special classes for September 2026 is expected to be sanctioned by the end of December 2025.

Trade mission plan 

Peter Burke, the enterprise minister, will seek Cabinet approval to make a Team Ireland trade mission an annual event as part of market diversification plans.

This year’s mission to Canada will include key political meetings with prime minister Mark Carney.

Future trade missions may include locations such as India, China, and the United Arab Emirates.

State spending report 

Jack Chambers, the public expenditure minister, will tell Cabinet that State spending for the first half of 2025 is up on last year by 6.5% and capital expenditure up 22.5%. He will also note an allocation of €1.15bn from the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility, marking 38% of Ireland’s overall allocation to date.

Legal processes reform 

Jim O’Callaghan, the justice minister, will seek Cabinet approval for the general scheme of a bill to implement the Kelly report recommendations which would see further reforms in discovery, judicial review, and civil procedure in the courts and jurisdiction in the circuit and district courts.

Mr O’Callaghan will also update ministers on draft amendments to personal injuries guidelines submitted by the Judicial Council which propose an across-the-board increase of 16.7% in compensation awards in line with inflation since 2021.

Renewables proposal  

Darragh O’Brien, the transport and climate minister, will bring the Renewable Heat Obligation Bill, which will require suppliers of fossil fuels used for heat to demonstrate a proportion of the energy supplied is from a renewable source.