![\"Grace](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/taoiseach-says-harm-has-been-done-in-north-kerry-youth-mental-health-service.jpg\")
Sinn F\u00e9in leader Mary Lou McDonald called the findings \u2018distressing\u2019 (Brian Lawless\/PA)<\/p>\nThe Taoiseach has criticised \u201cabsolutely unacceptable\u201d harm caused in the treatment of children accessing mental health services in Kerry.<\/p>\n
A HSE-commissioned independent report into Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in North Kerry is due to be published on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
It came after concerns were raised about services in the area following the 2022 Maskey Review into South Kerry CAMHS.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, Sinn F\u00e9in leader Mary Lou McDonald told the D\u00e1il that families in North Kerry \u201chave waited years for answers\u201d about treatment provided to them.<\/p>\n
Ms McDonald said: \u201cThe distressing findings of that report into the care of vulnerable children by South Kerry CAMHS provoked shock and public anger at the time.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat investigation revealed that children in crisis were subjected to harm, that there were serious deficiencies in care, a total lack of oversight, and children being over-prescribed medications.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese negligent prescribing practices had devastating consequences, which included psychological distress, cognitive impairment, considerable weight gain, excess sedation and high blood pressure.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sinn F\u00e9in leader Mary Lou McDonald called the findings \u2018distressing\u2019 (Brian Lawless\/PA)<\/p>\n
During Leaders\u2019 Questions, Ms McDonald said she had met affected families who outlined the \u201cdevastation this caused to their lives\u201d.<\/p>\n
She said: \u201cOne heartbroken father told me how he dreamed of his son striding the pitch of Croke Park, who is a fine young footballer, but following the lad\u2019s treatment by CAMHS, his father is left wondering if his son would ever be even able to watch a match, not to mind have a pint or a friend.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd this father, like so many other parents, is filled with guilt for trusting a system that failed their children.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday, the full story of what was done to children and young people in the care of North Kerry CAMHS has been brought to light and the findings of this report seem damning.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms McDonald, acknowledging that the the HSE had already issued apologies to more than half of those whose files were examined, also referenced the case of one woman in Tralee who said her daughter\u2019s life had been \u201cdevastated\u201d by the treatment she received.<\/p>\n
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The Sinn F\u00e9in leader said the teenage girl had been diagnosed with depression and PTSD and she was prescribed antidepressants, anti-anxiety and anti psychotic medication without an appropriate assessment, clear rationale for the medication, and a \u201ccomplete absence in monitoring of the impact\u201d of the drugs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is just one family of hundreds and just one area. These young people were in crisis. They reached out for help, and they were failed.\u201d<\/p>\n
The case was featured in an RT\u00c9 interview on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Asked by Ms McDonald if the Government had established if the issue was more widespread, Taoiseach Micheal Martin said: \u201cThe minister \u2013 after the situation in South Kerry \u2013 commissioned a National Audit, and the HSE prescribing audit, or the Mental Health Commission, they have not identified they\u2019re sorry they have not identified any concerns related to prescribing practice in services outside of Kerry.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Martin said the RT\u00c9 interview contained a \u201charrowing account\u201d relating to over-medication, a lack of multidisciplinary approach, and a lack of complementary therapies.<\/p>\n
The Taoiseach said there would be \u201ca need for an extended look back in terms of absolute certainty for all cases\u201d, adding that a referral over the issues had been made to the Medical Council.<\/p>\n
He told the D\u00e1il: \u201cThe first principle of medicine is: do no harm. Harm has been done here in terms of the treatment of quite a number of young people in North Kerry.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Martin added: \u201cThe HSE series incident team was established to deal with this. This is absolutely unacceptable. The same approach would be taken with all the families involved, as was taken in terms of South Kerry.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Taoiseach has criticised \u201cabsolutely unacceptable\u201d harm caused in the treatment of children accessing mental health services in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":291111,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[134,554,555,111,139,69],"class_list":{"0":"post-291110","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mental-health","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-mental-health","10":"tag-mentalhealth","11":"tag-new-zealand","12":"tag-newzealand","13":"tag-nz"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/291110","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=291110"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/291110\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/291111"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=291110"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=291110"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=291110"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}