Amnesty tackles Govt on children's care
Amnesty International has accused the Government of neglecting the mental health of Irish children.
The human rights organisation said Ireland was not complying with its international obligations in the area. It said only a small number of Irish children with mental health problems had access to the necessary services.
The Amnesty report said 2,000 Irish children were currently on waiting lists for psychiatric assessments and some would have to wait for up to a year.
It claimed 20% of Irish children would experience a disabling mental illness before the age of 18.
It also said childhood depression and suicide were on the increase in Ireland.
The report said there were only 45 child consultants in Ireland, despite a recommendation from the Irish College of Psychiatrists six years ago that 120 such consultants should be hired.
It said sexual abuse victims in Dublin were being forced to wait three months for assessments and five months for therapy, while no in-patient facilities were available outside Dublin and Galway for children with mental illnesses.
