The treatment of hundreds of children by North Kerry Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services exposed many young patients to unacceptable risk and reflects serious failures in oversight and clinical governance, according to Social Democrats mental health spokesperson Liam Quaide TD.<\/p>\n
Deputy Quaide said:<\/p>\n
\u201cOf the 374 cases reviewed, the report identifies a risk of potential harm in a very significant proportion. Once again, vulnerable young people have been failed by a CAMHS service that should have protected them.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe report raises serious concerns about prescribing practices, including the use of anti-psychotic medication and combinations of drugs in circumstances where the clinical basis for treatment was unclear or insufficiently documented.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt also highlights major weaknesses in governance, including the absence of clear operating procedures and inadequate physical health monitoring for children receiving treatment.<\/p>\n
\u201cA previous review of services in South Kerry in 2022, the Maskey Report, identified serious risks within CAMHS. It is therefore deeply troubling that further serious issues have now emerged in North Kerry. This raises obvious questions about whether similar problems are replicated across the country.<\/p>\n
\u201cFamilies in Kerry, and across the country, need decisive and competent intervention, not empty promises and threadbare services. Confidence in this service has been seriously damaged, and the Government must now explain why these services have been allowed to deteriorate to the extent they have with appalling consequences for some children and families.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is now required is investment in services, a full strengthening of oversight and clear accountability where these grave failures of care occurred, with such devastating consequences for children and their families in North Kerry.\u201d<\/p>\n
February 18th, 2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The treatment of hundreds of children by North Kerry Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services exposed many young patients to unacceptable risk and reflects serious failures in oversight and clinical governance, according to Social Democrats mental health spokesperson Liam Quaide TD. Deputy Quaide said: \u201cOf the 374 cases reviewed, the report identifies a risk of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":15502,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[809,540,652,653,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15943","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-camhs","category-children","category-liam-quaide","category-mental-health","category-press-release"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n