Sinn Féin’s mental health spokesperson Mark Ward has called for the Mental Health Act to be reformed.
Speaking on RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland in advance of the launch of the party’s mental health policy, Mr Ward said statutory powers should be given to the Mental Health Commission to regulate Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (Camhs).
“The Mental Health Commission have given a fantastic report that highlighted all the 49 recommendations, but they haven't got the statutory powers to go in and make the changes that are needed. What we would do is we would give them the statutory powers.”
Mr Ward said that from his background working in addiction and mental health services, he knew that people “need the right care, at the right place at the right time".
At the moment too many people were “falling through the cracks” because of the shortage of services, he added. Mr Ward said he had conducted extensive interviews with the various stakeholders and had consulted with international experts.
“I met with people with lived experiences, and I've met with the community and voluntary sector, and they've given me the information that I presented in this document that is needed to transform how child and youth mental health services are delivered in this country.”
There had been many reports into Camhs which had highlighted governance issues, in relation to children being given the wrong medication and not being monitored. Children falling off the cliff edge at the age of 18 with no continuity of care when they transfer from adolescent mental health services to adult mental health services is another issue, he said.
“What we want to have is proper workforce training in place, which we haven't got at the moment. If you want to recruit people, you have to have the people to recruit. So we need to start increasing the amount of trainees in the healthcare sector by 20 percent.
"And we have a commitment there of 20 percent in year one. We will incrementally increase that over time in government. And that will enable people to work in the health sector.”
The funding that will be required to implement the Sinn Féin mental health policy will be €250 million for year one, he said. With additional costs year-on-year after that. This figure was part of Sinn Féin’s alternative Budget which will be presented in the coming weeks, he said.
The proposed funding of €250 million would transform how mental health services are delivered across the country. The plan was that no matter what door a person knocked on – for addiction or mental health services, they would get help, he added.
