Page 67 of the programme for Government refers to ensuring support for those in crisis with regard to mental health services. Last weekend, a 16 year old was admitted to the emergency department of University Hospital Waterford. He suffers from autism and was admitted after a very serious incident arose. He spent 40 hours in the emergency department, 26 of which were spent on a chair with a blanket over his head to block out noise and sound. Another 11 hours were spent on a trolley. No CAMHS inpatient bed or adult bed was available for him. He was finally seen by a child psychiatrist who had to write six different referrals with regard to various child inpatient beds throughout the country. There are only 72 inpatient beds in the country and an average of 43 of them are active at any one time.

Does the Tánaiste believe that this is ensuring support in crisis? Is it not possible to put a bed manager in place rather than wasting a child psychiatrist's time writing so many referrals?

In this area there has been enormous pressure from the perspective of recruitment and funding. The HSE has successfully recruited 114 assistant psychologists and 20 psychologists in primary care. Ten new posts for advanced nurse practitioners have been specifically directed to child and adolescent mental health services. We are recruiting in this area and investing much more in it because of the kinds of cases the Deputy has just outlined.