Sinn Féin spokesperson on Mental Health, Mark Ward TD, has called for the scope of any review into CAMHS in South Kerry and nationwide to include the role played by TUSLA.

During today’s meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children, Disability, Equality, Integration and Youth, TUSLA confirmed during questioning by Teachta Ward that 20 children under the care of TUSLA were placed at harm by South Kerry CAMHS

Speaking after today’s Committee meeting, Teachta Ward said:

“I find it shocking that children under the care of TUSLA  were amongst the 246 children placed at harm by CAMHS in South Kerry.

“During today’s meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children, Disability, Equality, Integration and Youth, TUSLA confirmed to me that 20 children under the care of TUSLA were placed at harm by South Kerry CAMHS.

“That is 20 children under the care of the state who were mistreated and overmedicated by another arm of the state.

“Questions need to be answered by TUSLA on how the process that allowed the mistreatment of children to carry on went  unchecked .

“Parents have told me that social workers from TUSLA often sat in on consultations between the psychiatrist and the child.

“Speaking with parents of children who were mistreated and misdiagnosed, they told me that they feel that not only did CAMHS fail their children but that TUSLA did also.

“The lookback review into CAMHS South Kerry stated that ‘they did not find clear evidence that the appropriate consent for treatment had been obtained by TUSLA’  and a clear process was not described when we raised this with the social workers.

“I have reiterated my call for the scope of any review into CAMHS in South Kerry and nationwide to include the role played by TUSLA.”