‘I'm fighting this for 20 years’ — New Ross councillor says it's a ‘waste of time’ petitioning for adolescent mental health services

By Simon Bourke, Wexford People

With Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in Co Wexford stretched to breaking point, the focus has turned to preventing, rather than attempting to cure, children from experiencing emotional or psychological distress later in life.

Calling for the Department of Education to provide qualified therapists in “every primary and secondary school” in the county, Councillor Aoife Rose O’Brien said young people experiencing mental health difficulties should “have timely access to professional support within their school community”.

She was speaking at the June meeting of Wexford County Council (WCC) where her motion on this issue, which also asked that the department increase investment in “school-based mental health services”, was fully supported by her colleagues.

However, as the parent of an autistic child, Cllr Pat Barden said he had been fighting this battle for 20 years with little or no success.

“I support the motion but asking for one of these in each school is too much,” he said. “This is coming from someone who is the father of an autistic son: this will not happen. This motion will be a waste of time. I’m fighting for 20 years to get services and it still hasn’t got any better.”

“We have to put up some sort of an argument,” replied Cllr O’Brien. “We have to try, we cannot stand by and allow this to deteriorate.”

“But there has to be a better way to go about this,” continued Cllr Barden. “This motion isn’t directed at the people who really matter and can make things happen. We’ll just receive a generic letter in response which will make no difference. If Cllr O’Brien wants to form a sub-committee to discuss this I will be the first there.”

However, Cllr Vicky Barron, who is on the national executive of Irish Primary Principals Network, offered some hope for Cllrs O’Brien and Barden.

“We are aware the department is trialling therapists and therapeutic supports in some counties, so this motion is prudent,” she said. “And generally, the rule of thumb in the Department of Education is if you ask for a little you will get even less.”

The motion was passed by councillors and will now be forwarded to the Department of Education for its attention.