Sinn Féin has pledged to overhaul Ireland’s mental health services to address the current “chaotic” system that is plagued by long waiting lists and a shortage in staff.
The party’s mental health action plan contains 20 “key measures” to reform services across the country.
Under its plan, which was launched on Thursday, the party said it would set up a new Child and Youth Mental Health Service to replace the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (Camhs) and increase the upper age limit from 18 to 25 for access to these services.
“Getting people the right mental health care, in the right place and at the right time” - @MarkWardSF
Sinn Féin will transform how mental health services are delivered.
Read our Mental Health Action Plan here: https://t.co/2WJiPMEbst pic.twitter.com/yKpOnB1WqR— Sinn Féin (@sinnfeinireland) August 15, 2024
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The party also said it would bring in an additional 47 community Camhs teams, 41 beds and 20 early intervention in psychosis teams.
It would also bring in an additional 20 eating disorder inpatients beds and community-based services.
The party said it would also introduce joint care plans between addiction and mental health services to support people who have a dual diagnosis and reopen Keltoi, the residential dual diagnosis facility which closed in 2020.
Sinn Féin's Pearse Doherty said the current mental health services were in a “perpetual state of chaos and crisis”.
“For Sinn Féin, the long term solution is clear, you need an Irish national health service, one that is truly public, that provides health care on the basis of need, not on who you are or where you live or how much money you earn,” the Donegal TD said.
“A system that is funded by progressive taxation. Fair, timely and free mental health care provision is a vital part of our vision of what a national health service would offer.
“Sinn Féin’s mental health action plan would transform how we deliver mental health services right across this country, it sets out our absolute commitment to delivering widespread and significant change and a fresh start in mental health care.
“Funding has been stagnant. Reform has been stalled, and waiting lists have reached crisis point.
“Behind each and every one of those numbers is an individual, is a young person, is an adult that’s reaching out for help, and many times that help is not there or is delayed.”
He said that the cost of implementing the 20 key measures would cost €250 million every year, and would take a number of years to put in place.
Mark Ward, the party’s spokesperson on mental health, said that the party would amend the Mental Health Act to regulate Camhs.
He added: “We’ve seen waiting lists for Camhs spiral under this Government. There’s been an 80% increase in the amount of young people who are waiting for a first time appointment with Camhs since this Government came into place.
“In 2020, there was just over 2,000 children waiting for a first time appointment for mental health service. Now that has risen to just under 4,000.
“We’ve also seen 140% increase on young people that are waiting for a first time appointment for over a year. You imagine you have been deemed that you need an acute mental health service as a child, and then you are referred into a service, and you think as a parent that your child is going to get the care that they need.
“We have over 540 children who are languishing on waiting lists for over a year.”
He added: “Eating disorders are the most fatal of all mental health conditions.
“However, there are only three public adult eating disorders beds in the whole state, three for the whole state.
“If a person has a eating disorder, and they get to the stage that are really feeling unwell in themselves, they may go to an accident and emergency. From there they are referred into a generic psychiatric facility where they are not getting special eating disorder help.
“While they are in there, their body mass index is increased to a safe level. They are then discharged from the psychiatric hospital back into the community, and then that cycle happens, and it’s an ongoing situation.”
The party’s spokesperson on health, David Cullinane said: “The key for me is we need to make sure that people have access to mental health services when they need it.
“Young people end up going into emergency departments to access mental health services. They’re in the wrong place, they’re told, they very often get returned home.
“It’s very distressing for families of those children, and it’s all because we don’t have the primary care and community care supports and services there.
“As a last resort they end up going to an emergency department, and their issues are not properly dealt with.
“The lack of integration, the lack of services at primary and community care level, for me, is where the heavy lifting needs to be done, and that’s why most of the measures concentrate in those areas.”
Spokesperson on education Sorca Clarke said that there is no dedicated mother and baby perinatal mental health unit on the island of Ireland.
She said the party would develop an all-island mother and baby perinatal mental health unit, which she said would allow mothers and babies to stay together.
