Wicklow Ranks High In Waiting Lists For Appointments With Mental Health Services

Cork and Kerry have the longest waiting lists, with a total of 705 children waiting to be seen.

According to details released under the Freedom of Information Act, there are 2,224 children on the waiting list for the HSE's Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service.

More than a quarter - 660 - have been waiting at least six months for an appointment.

209 have been waiting for at least a year, including 162 children in Cork and Kerry.

Other areas with long waiting lists include Wicklow, Dublin southeast and the midlands where almost 500 children are waiting to be seen.   

At present, there are nearly 740 staff working in Camhs in 71 teams across Ireland, including psychiatrists and psychologists.

There remain 14 vacant posts, while 31 consultant psychiatrists posts are filled on a temporary basis.