The Minister of State for Mental Health says meeting with the families of children affected by the care provided to them at North Kerry CAMHS was harrowing.
A report found that 56% of children in the care of North Kerry Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services were at risk of potential harm from their treatment.
Junior Minister Mary Butler met with families in Tralee yesterday.
She says she is devastated for the children and their families, saying as a mother whose own child was in the care of CAMHS previously, she felt what they were saying very deeply:
Junior Minister Butler also confirmed that the HSE has made a referral to the Medical Council in relation to a clinician following the findings at North Kerry CAMHS.
She believes without accountability people won’t be able to move on from what happened and she wants a swift investigation:
Meanwhile, Minister of State Butler confirmed that contracts have been signed for a senior psychiatrist for South Kerry CAMHS; that post had been vacant for 12 years.
She also confirmed that funding has been allocated for two suicide crisis assessment nurses (SCAN) in Kerry.
These nurses aim to provide a timely response to requests from GPs for assessment of patients in suicidal crisis.
In recent weeks, there had been calls for these nurses to be located in Kerry as a matter of urgency:
