asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the particular difficulties being experienced by the department of child and family psychiatry in the Mater Hospital, Dublin 7 due to the cutbacks in staffing and finance; if, in view of the importance of the work done by this department, he will consider the way in which it can be assisted in its present difficulties; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Dublin Hospital Psychiatric Services.
20.
The department of child and family psychiatry at the Mater Hospital is funded by the Eastern Health Board which has the statutory responsibility for the provision of child and family psychiatric services in its functional area. I have had inquiries made of the Eastern Health Board and I have been informed that there has been no reduction in the financial allocation to the Mater service in the current year and that the board is not aware of any particular difficulties being experienced by that service.
I am however concerned about the organisation of child and adolescent psychiatric services in the greater Dublin region. I have, therefore, recently established a working group which will undertake a review of the present provision of child and adolescent psychiatric services in the Eastern Health Board area including an examination of the capacity of the existing services in meeting the total need of the area. The working group, which is representative of Comhairle na nOspidéal, the Eastern Health Board and my Department, will be meeting each of the agencies involved in providing child and family psychiatric services in the Eastern Health Board area, including the Mater service, during the course of this review.