Committee of Public Accounts to examine HSE Financial Statements 2020 – Expenditure on mental health services, with a particular focus on CAMHS expenditure

The meeting at 9.30am in Committee Room 3 of Leinster House with representatives of the of the HSE, led by CEO Paul Reid, and Department officials, led by assistant secretary general Louise McGirr, will be joined by the Comptroller and Auditor General, Mr Seamus McCarthy.

The afternoon session, beginning at 1.30pm, will consider the minutes of last week’s meeting, correspondence and other business of the Committee.

PAC Cathaoirleach Deputy Brian Stanley said: “It is estimated that one in four or five of us will experience some mental health problems. Most people with mental health issues can be treated by their GP and are referred to HSE Mental Health Services when necessary. The HSE recorded just over €1bn or 5.2 per cent of its overall expenditure on mental health services in 2020 and the Committee decided to hold this meeting to focus in on this expenditure.

“The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) is a service that provides assessment and treatment for young people and their families who are experiencing mental health difficulties. The term CAMHS is usually applied to services that provide specialist mental health treatment and care to children up to 18 years of age through a multidisciplinary team.

“There are currently 88 registered places for the provision of CAMHS in the State. However, there is no financial information provided in the HSE’s annual report or financial statements in relation to expenditure for CAMHS.

“Areas the Committee wishes to examine include the structure and resourcing of CAMHS, the governance and oversight by the HSE of CAMHS at national and regional level, and the impact on CAMHS due to the reduction in provision of mental health services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The Committee looks forward to a wide-ranging discussion with the HSE and the Department of Health officials on these and related matters.”   

The meeting in Committee Room 3 can be viewed live on Oireachtas TV.

PAC is a standing committee of Dáil Éireann which focuses on ensuring public services are run efficiently and achieve value for money. Further information on the role and remit of the Committee can be found here.

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.