Limerick East): Services for children and adolescents, including services for eating disorders, are generally provided by child and adolescent phychiatric services in child and family centres. A family-centred approach is adopted and the majority of cases are dealt with on a non-residential basis. Residential care, where required, may be provided at a residential facility for children and young people, at a paediatric department of a general hospital, at a phychiatric unit of a general hospital or at a psychiatric hospital.
In recent years there has been significant expansion in child and adolescent psychiatric services in each health board with additional recruitment of child psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers. I regard the child and adolescent psychiatric services as one of the priority areas for development and in this regard my Department is currently in the process of formulating a policy for the further development of the service which will include an identification of areas of particular need.