Sinn Fein Calls For Urgent Investment For Under 18s Mental Health Services

Sinn Fein TD Martin Browne is calling for urgent investment in child and adolescent mental health services.   The service is provided in Tipperary via two separate community Health structures that cover north and south Tipperary.

Between January 2020 and January 2023 waiting lists for the service are up by 103% for CHO3 which covers North Tipperary and up 118% for CHO5 which includes South Tipperary.   The Cashel based TD says the teams are underfunded and understaffed.

As of January, 2023, there were 321 patients waiting for an appointment in CHO5 which includes South Tipperary and  385 waiting in CHO3 which serves North Tipperary.

In the CHO3 region, which includes North Tipperary, 240 children are waiting over three months – 85 of whom are waiting more than a year.

For CHO5 which includes South Tipperary,  209 children are waiting over three months – 25 of whom are waiting more than a year. Deputy Browne wants Health Minister Stephen Donnelly to produce a plan for capacity expansion and workforce planning to address the waiting lists.