Deputies McDonald and Howlin very correctly raised the question of child psychiatric services. I received a reply to a Parliamentary Question on a similar issue in the past few weeks that was very interesting. It concerned the number of children from primary schools, particularly boys, who have been repeatedly referred to accident and emergency departments having self-harmed. To what extent will the programme for Government be able to deal with that issue? Care after the event is a difficult issue, particularly when the same child is repeatedly referred to accident and emergency departments having self-harmed.

In the first instance, a child who is attending for mental health issues on a repeated basis should be referred to the child and adolescent mental health services on an emergency basis. Since a number of Deputies have raised this point about attendance at accident and emergency departments by children with mental health difficulties, I will ask the Minister with responsibility for this area to examine this and see what further action needs to be taken to ensure there is better liaison between both services.