More than 180,000 people suffer with eating disorders and approximately 1,000 new cases occur each year. Evidence shows that people with eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of all mental health conditions. In my catchment area of Wexford, there is poor access to out-of-hours services to CAMHS liaison teams in the four general hospitals in CHO 5. In fact, therapy for eating disorders was not available in all teams. In some areas, liaison teams were not able to offer specific evidence-based treatment to young people with anorexia nervosa because there was insufficient appropriate trained staff available. It is proven that when eating disorder teams are in place, there is a positive outcome for all individuals involved. I ask the Tánaiste to provide funding for a full team recruited specifically for eating disorders, as per the model of care in CHO 5. Will he agree to set up a national eating disorder register that would provide factual data to support the future-proofing of services?

I thank Deputy Mythen for his question. I am from CHO 5. I am aware that we have an adult eating disorder team in place in Kilkenny but we still do not have a CAMHS eating disorder team in place. The model of care in 2018 advocated for 16 teams in total, eight adult teams and eight CAMHS teams. To date, we have 12 of the teams funded, of which 11 are in place. I announced one more adult team a few weeks ago for CHO 7. We have four more teams to go in order to reach the full model of care. I hope to do two more in budget 2025 - I hope the Tánaiste is listening - and two the following year in 2026. We have made great progress. Last year, recurring funding for eating disorders was €8.1 million. Some 90% of all those with eating disorders can be treated well in the community, so it is imperative that we deliver the next four eating disorder teams and that we do not have a postcode lottery. I want to see it happen in CHO 5 as well.

What about the register?