Sinn Féin TD for Meath West, Johnny Guirke, has criticised the Government over their continued failure to tackle the crisis in CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) as new HSE figures released show that 552 children and young people in the Meath/Louth area are waiting for CAMHS care with 165 waiting more than 12 months. Teachta Guirke said: “It is deplorable how bad the situation with CAMHS has gotten in recent years and the news that there are over 500 children and young people are on a waiting list to access help as of June 2026 is utterly devastating. Nationally there are 4881 children and young people awaiting CAMHS services in figures released.
“The figures provided by the HSE in response to a parliamentary question asked by my colleague, Sorca Clarke TD, show that over 165 children and young people living in Meath/Louth who are in need of mental health support have been left waiting over a year to access CAMHS. These figures are deeply concerning. This should be a wake up call for this Government.
“I held a public meeting on mental health in Navan back in March. I was joined by families, young people and those working in this field in our communities. There were serious concerns raised about the pressures facing mental health services. The stories I heard in that meeting had a deep impact on me. It is so disheartening to see that people with mental health issues and their families and loved ones are left feeling hopeless, trying to compete to be seen, to be heard and to try and get the vital support they desperately need.
“Behind every number on this waiting list is a child or young person and a family waiting for help. A wait of more than 12 months for specialist mental health support can have a detrimental impact on a young person and leaves families feeling completely abandoned by the system.
“We cannot continue to normalise children waiting months and, in some cases, more than a year for access to mental health services. Early intervention matters. When a young person is struggling with their mental health, they should not have to wait until their circumstances get worse before they can access the specialist support they need.
“What we need to see immediately is investment in community based early intervention, sufficient multidisciplinary teams and a clear plan to bring down waiting times.
“Mental health must be treated with the same urgency as physical health. I urge the Government to act now to reduce these waiting lists and ensure they can access the mental health care they need, when they need it.”
