I am well aware of the matter the Senator has raised on the Adjournment. Staff have also raised with me the issue of the future of this facility and I have made inquiries within the Department of Health and Children about it.
A working group was established by the Department of Health and Children in June 2000 to review child and adolescent psychiatry and to finalise a plan for its future development. The first report of the working group on child and adolescent psychiatric services was presented to the Minister on 1 March 2001. The report contains recommendations on the development of services for the management and treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorders-hyperactivity kinetic disorder – ADHD-HKD – and the development of child – between six and 12 years – and adolescent – between 12 and 16 years – psychiatric in-patient units.
With regard to in-patient units, the working group recommended that a total of seven child and adolescent in-patient psychiatric units for children ranging from six to 16 years should be developed throughout the country. Project teams have been established in respect of the proposed units in Cork, Limerick, Galway and one in the Eastern Regional Health Authority area, at St. Vincent's Hospital, Fairview.
The national health strategy – Quality and Fairness – A Health System for You – includes a commitment to the implementation of the recommendations of the working group's report. At present, in-patient services for children and adolescents under 16 are provided in three locations: Warrenstown House and Courthall in Dublin and St. Anne's in Galway.
The South Western Area Health Board operates the eight bed residential treatment unit for children and adolescents at Courthall in County Dublin. The unit is geographically located in the Northern Area Health Board, but is operated by the South Western Area Board.
I am informed that the South Western Health Board has no plans to close this service. However the board continues to examine the future direction of the services being provided from Courthall in light of the overall development of child and adolescent psychiatric in the Eastern Regional Health Authority. As part of the ongoing examination, initial discussions have taken place with all interested parties, namely the Northern Area Health Board and staff of the South Western Area Health Board. There will be no change in the status of the services currently being offered from Courthall without comprehensive discussions with all parties. The future direction of the service will remain under review and evaluation.
On the development of child and adolescent psychiatric services, which has been a priority in recent years, there has been a significant improvement in the level of service provision. Between 1999 and 2002, additional revenue funding of €13.3 million was allocated to provide for the appointment of additional consultants, for the enhancement of existing consultant-led multidisciplinary teams and towards the establishment of further teams. A further €1.64 million has been provided in 2003. It is my intention to ensure that psychiatric services for children and adolescents, both in-patient and community based, will continue to be prioritised in the context of available resources.
