Vol. 541 No. 2
419 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will make a statement on the admission of several children and teenagers to an adult psychiatric unit since the beginning of 2001, as reported in a newspaper (details supplied). [20985/01]
The placement of children and teenagers in adult psychiatric facilities is increasingly seen as inappropriate. I established a working group on child and adolescent psychiatry to review services and make recommendations on how these services should be developed in the short, medium and long-term. In its first report, published in March 2001, the group recommended that a total of seven child and adolescent specialist inpatient units for children ranging from six – 16 should be developed throughout the country. Project teams have been established in respect of the proposed units in Cork, Dublin, Galway and Limerick and design briefs are being prepared. In addition, a sub-group of the working group has been established to examine the service needs of persons between 16 and 18 years of age. This sub-group consists of experts from the fields of adult and child psychiatry and it will examine how the needs of 16-18 year olds should be addressed in the context of future service developments.
