Over 500 children waiting for mental health services in Louth and Meath

Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú criticised the increased waiting lists for children and young people waiting to be seen by mental health services.

According to HSE data to the end of July, 4,800 children and young people are waiting to be seen by Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), with the highest number of these in the Louth/Meath area.

This includes 545 young people waiting in the Louth/Meath area, with a third of them, 162, waiting for more than 12 months.

Deputy Ó Murchú claimed the figures show that youth and mental health services ‘remain under severe pressure’ and said the government had overseen an increase in the numbers of children waiting.

He said: “Early intervention is the single most effective way to prevent lifelong mental ill-health, yet too many children and young people continue to face delays in accessing the support they need.

“Since this Government took office in 2025, the number of children and young people waiting for a CAMHS appointment has increased by 600,rising from 4,200 to 4,800 by the end of July 2026, an increase of 14.3%, with 673 children and young people waiting over a year for a first-time appointment.

“Around 75% of all mental health difficulties emerge before the age of 25, making timely intervention critical.

“Children and young people deserve accessible and high-quality care, regardless of where they live.

“Sinn Féin believes that mental health must be treated with the same urgency as physical health.

“That means investing in community-based early intervention services, recruiting and retaining the multidisciplinary staff needed across CAMHS, and ensuring that every child can access assessment and treatment within clinically appropriate timeframes”.