I wish to voice my serious concern in response to the data published by the child and adolescent psychiatry surveillance system. This is a surveillance system used in child and adolescent mental health services in the UK and Ireland. Today, we are told that up to 4,000 children and adolescents in this country between the ages of eight to 17 may be suffering from anorexia nervosa. It is clear from the figures that the problem is escalating. The figures have doubled since 2006. I have dealt with a number of families with a child suffering from this condition. I can only describe it as one of a parent's worst nightmares because there is a great feeling of helplessness on the part of the parent as he or she looks on at a child who will not and cannot eat and is damaging not just his or her mental health but his or her physical health in the process. Parents need assistance and support. The escalation of the problem is reflected in the increase in referrals to child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, provided by the HSE, where there has been a 40% increase in referrals since 2011. Unfortunately, staffing and resources are clearly an issue with only 57% of posts filled compared to the figure recommended by A Vision for Change. I know there is a particular problem with acute services. We sometimes see children admitted to hospital in a critical state and put in paediatric wards beside other ill children. They must be supervised. Getting counselling or dieticians is very difficult. Could we have a debate because this is clearly a societal problem? We hear glib comments about meat in the climate change debate. We must be far more responsible. We know there is a lot of pressure on young people with regard to their self-employment that they pick up from social media. I am not an expert in this field but I feel for the children and young people and their families, as can we all. We need a debate on attitudes to food, recognising symptoms earlier and correcting attitudes that are leading to this terrible condition to give some hope to people that they might learn that there is a way to break through and get over this condition. We must take this terrible affliction very seriously so that we do not lose young people who have their whole lives ahead of them to it.

If Senator Mulherin was in government, she might be able to do something about the insupportable CAMHS waiting lists that are leading to the neglect of our children and their health and well-being but sin scéal eile.

I wish to raise the Shannon LNG project. It is on the list of projects to be confirmed today by the EU. Along with other members of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Change, we have requested that the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment take it off the list so that it is not given the go ahead by the EU because this country does not want it to be given the go ahead. We are taking in fracked gas that has been deemed a major risk to public health. It is now called a stranded asset because the mayor of New York made the very brave decision some years ago because of the evidence of the effect on public health. Senator Swanick spoke about that previously. It has been linked with premature deaths because of the pollution caused by fracking. We are going to take second-grade pollutants all the way from the US, where they constitute a stranded asset. They have looked around to see where they can try to sell it and decided to sell it to Ireland and to that end, to set up a receiving port down in Shannon. I would be most grateful if the Leader could ask the Minister if he is cognisant of the letter to him asking him to remove this project from the list of projects of common interest the EU will decide on today.

The next issue is the failure of Ministers to come to the House to take Commencement matters. We are told at the last minute by email that Ministers will not be attending. This happened to me on two occasions. The Commencement matter I wish to raise focused on the consultant position relating to sarcoma at St. Vincent's University Hospital, which has been left open for 2.5 years, but the Minister for Health has not been available. I also raised this matter in the Seanad on 10 October.

I discussed with the Cathaoirleach the disrespect that is shown to this House when Ministers appear to be hiding. No Minister of State at the Department of Health was available to take the matter. On the last occasion, 10 October, I told the Minister's private secretary that I would prefer the Minister, Deputy Harris, to come to the House to discuss it. I believe the matter was chosen in the belief that he would come to the House, and 9 last night was quite a late time to be told that nobody would be available.

There is no obligation on Ministers, unfortunately.

I wish to comment on Senator Mulherin's contribution regarding anorexia. A debate on that issue would be very appropriate. We have all seen the issues in our communities as a result of it. There is also the issue of getting treatment through the child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS. That is a worthy debate which we should consider.

I wish to raise a fantastic project that was held in the audiovisual room by the I Wish campaign between 9. a.m. and 10 a.m. today. It is a unique campaign that was set up to encourage women in school to take up the STEM - science, technology, engineering and mathematics - subjects. It has launched a survey and is trying to make us aware of the issues for females taking up science subjects. It is something we should debate with the Minister for Education and Skills. He attended the presentation this morning and it was welcome that he turned up. That 93% of teachers believe that confidence is a problem for the female population in school taking up science subjects is a major issue. We must grapple with it and find a solution. I hope a debate with the Minister in the Seanad would go some way towards setting out a template whereby we can increase female participation in science subjects. It is a worthy debate. I compliment the I Wish campaign. It is a unique campaign to visit the Oireachtas. It brought speakers and fourth year students from throughout the country. Hearing their stories was inspiring. We must move forward on this. We must invite the Minister to the Chamber and afterwards we must put a policy in place to deliver on this.