Vol. 471 No. 4
63 Mr. O'Dea asked the Minister for Health the plans, if any, he has to establish a child adolescent psychiatric unit for disturbed children in the Limerick area; if he will establish a day hospital to review the progress of such children and a long-term care unit for permanently disturbed children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20847/96]
Limerick East): The Mid-Western Health Board is responsible for the delivery of the child and adolescent mental health services in its functional area which includes Limerick. Mental health services for children and adolescents are generally provided in child and family centres. A family-centered approach is adopted and the vast majority of cases are dealt with on a non-residential basis. The board's child and adolescent services consist of an inter-disciplinary team which is led by a consultant child psychiatrist. This team is to be strengthened which will enable the further development of the out-patient services in the board's functional area in 1997.
In cases where in-patient treatment is required, services are provided in the Regional Hospital, Dooradoyle, with special nursing arrangements. In relation to the provision of a dedicated child and adolescent acute in-patient unit, this will be considered in the context of the review of policy on child and addolescent psychiatry currently being carried out by Dr. Paul McCarthy, adviser in child and adolescent psychiatry to my Department. A proposal for the development of a special residential care service which would provide medium-term residential care for particularly troubled adolescents with severe behavioural difficulties will be considered in the context of the child care development programme.
