Calls for HSE chief Paul Reid to address council in Kerry over CAMHS failures

Gardaí are considering whether to launch a criminal investigation into the revelations of significant harm to children who attended the service

Chief executive of the HSE Paul Reid has been asked to directly address a meeting of Kerry County Council over the revelations of significant harm to children who attended Child and Adult Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in South Kerry. Photograph: Leah Farrell / Photocall Ireland

The chief executive of the HSE Paul Reid has been asked to directly address a meeting of the council in South Kerry amid continuing fallout over the report into mental health services in the area.

It has been confirmed that gardaí are considering whether to launch a criminal investigation into the revelations of significant harm to children who attended Child and Adult Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in the area.

They have invited parents of young people impacted by deficiencies in the South Kerry Child and Adult Mental Health Service (Camhs) to contact them by emailing [e-mail] or by contacting their local Garda station.

Demanding answers

A statement on Friday evening said An Garda Síochána in the Kerry Division was in receipt of the detailed and extensive final report released this week, “which will now be considered in the context of whether there are grounds to commence a criminal investigation”.

The statement said An Garda Síochána was fully aware of the impact the report has had on a number of families within the Kerry Division.

Now, local councillors are demanding answers too.

“Such treatment has sent shock waves through the hearts and minds of parents all over this country. 

"We need to know how the body in charge of our health service could allow the most vulnerable in our society to be abused in such a despicable manner by those in whom they had no choice but trust,” Michael Cahill, (FF) the chairman of the Kenmare Municipal District, said.

Mr Cahill’s motion to invite Paul Reid, CEO of the HSE to address the members “following the publishing of the most damning of reports that found that 46 children in South Kerry were harmed while under the care of the HSE” was one of two emergency motions before the council.

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A second joint motion by three councillors — called “for every possible resource” to be put in place to ensure a functioning CAMHS service in all of Kerry.

It also called for the recruitment of psychological and social workers and the appointment of a long-awaited psychiatrist to the south Kerry service.

The Kenmare District is the heart of South Kerry and includes Killorglin, Cahersiveen, Waterville, Valentia Island, Sneem and Kenmare.

The independent councillor Johnny Healy-Rae said “we have a lot of answers yet to get.” 

To access the mental health services in the first place was difficult and then to reach that stage and be given such treatment was “unbelievable” he said.

Disheartening

“It is very disheartening...  we have another massive upset now again related to the HSE,” Mr Healy-Rae said.

A State apology should be provided to the families, the Fine Gael Councillor Cllr Patrick Connor-Scarteen said.

There were calls also for people to enter the psychiatric services on the premise they return and work in peripheral areas.

There was no point in training doctors and nurses and then exporting them, Cllr Dan McCarthy (Ind) said, while Cllr Norma Moriarty (FF) said scholarships should be offered on the premise the psychiatrists return to work in peripheral counties. A substandard service should not be part of living in rural areas, she added.