The Minister for Mental Health must come up with an urgent plan to address the crisis in primary care psychology services for children and adolescents in Cork and Kerry, according to Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns.
“In response to a parliamentary question I submitted, the HSE revealed that the total number of young people on the waiting list in the region now exceeds 5,000. Disgracefully, 105 of them have been waiting between four and five years for an appointment. This is absolutely scandalous.
“The North Lee and South Lee services are worst affected, with waiting lists of 1,531 and 1,632 respectively.
“But despite spiralling waiting lists, funding allocations for Cork/Kerry primary care psychology dropped from €2,586,829 in 2021 to €2,055,053 in 2022, only slightly rising to €2,199,414 in 2023.
“It is clear from these figures that waiting lists in the Cork/Kerry area are completely out of control.
“Primary care psychology services are for those with mild to moderate mental health difficulties. The fact that 105 young people in the region are waiting between four and five years for intervention is deeply shocking.
“We need the Minister for Mental Health to take the situation in hand and devise an urgent plan to address this crisis.”
July 1, 2024
NOTE:
Budgetary allocations to primary care psychology in CHO4 here
Breakdown of waiting times for Cork/Kerry here