Fianna Fáil TD for Roscommon/Galway Eugene Murphy has highlighted the fact that over 130 children are currently waiting for an assessment with a child psychologist in County Roscommon with some children waiting over a year for an appointment.
Eugene Murphy recently tabled a parliamentary question with the Minister for Health Simon Harris in relation to the number of children in County Roscommon waiting for an assessment with a child psychologist over the past two years. He was informed that the average waiting time is over four months but the longest waiting time is 56 weeks.
“The figures indicate that there has been a huge increase in the number of children on a waiting list to see a child psychologist in County Roscommon since 2015. There were a total of 58 children on the waiting list in 2015 and that figure rose to 126 for 2016 and to date in 2017 there are a total of 132 children on the waiting list which is a staggering increase of 127% since 2015- this is totally unacceptable and the situation seems to have deteriorated since last Summer when a child psychologist in County Roscommon was on sick leave and the post has been vacant since which means there are now a total of 132 children from County Roscommon on that waiting list and unable to access child psychology services.
“As you know a number of Syrian children will also be arriving in the county in the coming weeks and these unfortunate children have already suffered untold heartache and witnessed such brutality and I don’t want to see a situation whereby they will be added to a very long waiting list to see a child psychologist. It is vital that the Minister for Health now fast tracks this vacancy and treats the appointment of child psychologist for County Roscommon as a priority and indeed provide extra psychologists if necessary.” concluded Deputy Murphy.