Irish Examiner view: Camhs report shows children are still being left without proper care

Why does it appear that services for vulnerable children are routinely unavailable, underfunded, or inadequate? Is it because those children lack political clout or popular representation?

A patient sample showed the average wait time in Cork and Kerry Camhs was four months. Picture: PA

Readers had much to digest in the reports published by the Mental Health Commission (MHC) on Thursday, examining Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (Camhs) provision, which painted a very bleak picture.

The reports found no dedicated Camhs service for children and adolescents with an intellectual disability and mental illness, and according to a patient sample taken by the MHC, the average wait time in Cork and Kerry Camhs was four months (a “reasonable” wait time is three months or less).