The Child and Family Agency Tusla today published reports from the National Review Panel in relation to twelve young people and the NRP Annual Report for 2013.  Reviews into the deaths of 12 children known to state services has found that a lack of access to mental health was a "strong theme" in many of the cases.

The NRP says three out of four young women who died by suicide since 2010 had been on long waiting lists for mental health services - with one unable to access help in the days before her death.

The independent review group says a multi-agency mental health service is needed if children are to get the care they need.

In the case of Donal, it was noted that with an average caseload of 18, the average contact time available for children and families is 1.5 hours per month.

Social workers in their region had an average caseload of 35.

Meanwhile, a report by the Children’s Mental Health Commission found at the end of last year community mental health teams for children and teenagers had just 42% of the staff recommended in Vision for Change.  That’s a 3% drop in staff from 2013, and waiting lists increased by 8%.

The report shows that at the end of 2014, almost 3,000 children and young people were on waiting lists, with over 400 of them waiting for more than a year.

Paul Harrison, Director of Policy and Strategy at Tusla, spoke to Lunchtime today about the findings of the report: