Labour Youth calls on Govt to fast-track 70 additional beds in psychiatric facilities for children & adolescents
Issued : Monday 15 March, 2010
Recently released figures have shown that in 2009, 155 children and adolescents were admitted to adult mental health facilities due to a lack of appropriate facilities. The majority (143) were aged 16-17 years. Currently only 30 specialist beds are available for children and adolescents nationwide, with an additional twenty planned for this year.
The Government’s own mental health policy identifies that 100 beds are needed to meet demand, but under current plans we currently have 30% capacity, and will only have 50% capacity by the end of the year.
Labour Youth is calling on the Government to provide all 70 additional beds required by the end of this year. It is of utmost importance, even more so now with the additional stresses people of school-leaving age are suffering in the recession.
Labour Youth Chair Rory Geraghty said: “These figures reflect a disgraceful trend that year on year this government is failing to tackle the obvious shortfall in mental health services for children and adolescents.
“Unfortunately, this does not come as a surprise. Last year’s budget slashed social welfare payments for school leavers, and the same age group continues to suffer from woefully inadequate mental health services. Failure to provide appropriate mental health services is a violation of the UN Charter of Human Rights. The Government needs to address this problem now before more children and adolescents have to suffer inadequate services.”
