Minister will meet families
A group of campaigning families from Sligo has secured a crucial meeting with Health Minister Simon Harris TD to discuss access to vital health services in the North West.
‘ Our voice for their future’ was set up in response to the frustrations of parents trying to access mental health services in the region. The families involved have children with a range of mental health difficulties including autism.
Spokeswoman Yvonne Rainey who’s 8- year- old son Ryan is waiting to access the HSE’s Child and Mental Health Services ( CAMHS) for two years says the news is welcome. “He has agreed to meet with us in Dublin in the next three weeks. An exact date has yet to be finalised. We wrote to Minister Simon Harris requesting the meeting. We also wrote to all of TD’s who we understand also passed on our requests. Five of us will travel to represent all of the parents in the group.”
Once in front of the Minister, the group will present a petition with more than 11,000 signatures calling for the full re- instatement of CAMHS in Sligo. At present there is only a part time psychiatrist working 20 hours a week, when there should be two full time positions to deal with the extreme backlog of cases. More than 350 children are on a waiting list and only 87 of those are deemed a ‘ priority’ case by the HSE. “Hopefully it will go well,” says Yvonne, “We are not looking for a pat on the back or for him to say ‘ we feel your pain.’ We are hoping he will genuinely listen to our concerns and do something about the situation.”
The father of a disabled boy John Doyle will also travel with the group to talk about future plans for respite and the closure of the Solas respite centre in Sligo. It’s understood a new bill on Respite care will recommend 12 hours a month respite at home - which campaigners say is not respite at all. The group will also travel to the Dail on Friday May 24th as part of the Still Waiting campaign and speak outside the gates of Leinster House.