The annual report card by the Children's Rights Alliance was published today. The report shows how the State is continuing to fail on the delivery of children's mental health services. In Wexford, local mental health advocate and parent, Raymond Shannon, has been campaigning for improved mental health services for children in Wexford for years. The Minister of State, Deputy James Browne, stood with Raymond in protest lines in 2019 and five years on, CAMHS in Wexford remains in tatters. Referral acceptance is at an all-time low. It is absolutely shameful. Families cannot access the services. They are at breaking point. With children unable to function in their everyday lives, experiencing suicidal ideation and with their families crying out for help, I ask the Minister when the Government will put in place delivery of a robust mental health service.

There are four questions for the Minister.

I thank the Ceann Comhairle. I am not sure how much time he will give me for all of them. Maybe it will be five minutes, which is excellent.

First, with regard to Deputy Colm Burke's question, I know he had a good meeting with the Minister, Deputy Simon Harris, on these matters. The Minister's Department met the Department of Health, UCC and Trinity on increasing the number of undergraduate courses available. Further information is being provided to the two Departments by TCD and UCC on the proposal to increase places and the requirements for personnel and placements in the health sector arising from any increases in student numbers. The Department of Health has allocated some funding to help with the development of sustainable practice education broadly for health and social care professionals this year. The national health and social care professionals office in the HSE is co-ordinating this process and leading on a number of programmes to support practice education for health and social care professionals, which will include identifying essential requirements. The Department of Health will continue to engage with the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and higher education institutions with regard to the radiation therapy courses.

Deputy Nash asked a question about the D Hotel and I will ask my colleague the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, to respond quickly.

I thank the Deputy for his engagement on this issue over the past week. We are examining the potential of undertaking dual use of the D Hotel. There are challenges to that, particularly where a hotel is hosting families. That was the proposal with regard to the D Hotel but we are examining that. I can confirm I will meet the Drogheda Business Improvement District and the Drogheda and District Chamber to discuss their concerns about the impact on tourism.

I would say to Deputy Nash that I think it is a helpful suggestion and I hope it can be the basis for moving the issues forward.

On antisocial behaviour and policing, I hear what Deputy Gannon is saying with regard to the pressures on Garda resources. The Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, and the Garda Commissioner have focused significantly on increasing Garda resources, presence and visibility in the inner city and I hope that is having a positive impact-----

It is not.

-----even if there are cases where more gardaí on the street is what is needed and there is a focus on doing that by recruiting more gardaí and making sure they are more visible and are given the equipment they need to do the job they need to do.

With regard to the Children's Rights Alliance annual report and scorecard, we agreed earlier that we would, I hope, provide time to debate that report and scorecard next week - the good, the bad and the challenging in that report. I am glad to say there are more areas of improvement than areas where there is a significant pressure but undoubtedly-----

Not in Wexford.

I hear what the Deputy is saying and I will ask the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, to respond briefly to her specific question.

I thank the Deputy for her question and for her continued advocacy for improved mental health services. As she knows, I visited Arden House in Wexford last year. I need to point out that we have two CAMHS teams in Wexford. The one in Arden House is currently not running a waiting list. I met the team-----

That is because they do not accept the referrals.

No, we cannot get into that, Deputy.

That is why we have to-----

No, we cannot get into that.

It is why we have this debate continuously. The Minister of State does not accept what is being told.

Deputy, let the Minister of State respond.

Can I respond, please?

Yes, please.

I visited Arden House and I met the team. There is a very good and comprehensive team working in Arden House. When someone looks to be supported by a CAMHS team, it is not the politicians or the parents who will determine whether they meet the criteria or not but it is the consultant psychiatrist in the multidisciplinary team.

There has been a lot of comment today about children's rights. I did not receive a copy of the Children's Rights Alliance scorecard until this morning so I did not have a chance to respond prior to this. In 2023,12 children were admitted to adult wards. In 2019, for example, there were 54, so we have been making significant progress. There are occasions when a consultant psychiatrist will make a clinical decision that an appropriate placement for a young person for their own safety may be in a psychiatric adult ward. Anybody who was placed in a psychiatric adult ward last year was aged 17-plus. Sometimes if they are not placed in that ward there can be an adverse response. If there is a situation with regard to life or death, I will take life any day of the week.