A wider review into mental health care provided to children in north Kerry is expected to be completed within the year and will focus on children most at risk of harm, Minister for Mental Health Mary Butler has said.
On Wednesday, an independent review into the north Kerry Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (Camhs) found 209 children had been at risk of potential harm.
The report highlighted a number of concerns, including high rates of prescribing, low rates of talk therapy and inadequate health checks. It particularly highlighted concerns around the treatment received by children with intellectual disabilities.
In an interview with The Irish Times on Thursday, Butler said she met with affected families and was “absolutely heartbroken for them”.
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“It’s very, very clear that these children were failed. They were failed by the State, they were failed by the HSE,” she said.
The Minister of State said there would be a wider examination of cases from before 2022 but when asked about what timeframe would be examined she said ”all of the details haven’t been finalised yet".
This review will be more “targeted” and would focus on children with intellectual disabilities, those on anti-psychotic medication and children who were prescribed multiple medications, she said.
“I think it’s really important that there’s another look back... but we want to focus it more specifically on the clinical risk,” she said, adding that the wider review is expected to be completed “in about a year”.
Butler also confirmed she has secured approval to extend the non-adversarial compensation scheme in place for those affected by issues in south Kerry Camhs to the families in this review.
“The Attorney General and the State Claims Agency both have a copy of the report. They are looking at that,” she said. “I would hope I would have this in the next two to three weeks.”
In a statement, Bernard Gloster, chief executive of the HSE, apologised “unequivocally” to those affected by the failings highlighted in the look back review, describing the issues identified as “unacceptable”.
“I am truly sorry for the harm caused and we will continue to work to improve, reform and invest in mental health services for young people in Kerry, and indeed throughout the country,” he said.
Gloster said that since 2023, significant progress and improvements have been made in Camhs services.
“While all of our improvements are good and welcome, there is no doubt but that our services in Kerry were so far below the acceptable standards as to cause risk of harm,” he said.
“That is unacceptable, it is not good enough and for that I am sincerely sorry.”
The HSE has referred the doctor at the centre of the review to the Irish Medical Council, Gloster added.
