611 children are on waiting lists for CAHMS services in Cork City.
That's according to Cork Sinn Féin TD Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire who has written to the Minister for Health, urging him to intervene and provide the resources necessary to tackle the waiting lists.
Figures released from the HSE show an increase of 108 young people waiting for mental health appointments compared to 6 months ago.
Speaking to RedFM News, TD Donnchadh O'Laoghaire says mental health services for young people across Cork need to be prioritised:
"CAHM services in Cork are completely overstretched despite the best efforts of everyone working in that service. We're very dedicated with the waiting lists are not being tackled. Families are being put under incredible pressure, managing the stress and strain within the family while their child wait up to a year or sometimes more for an appointment. It's not good enough, there is no excuse. we need to address these backlogs we need to ensure that CAHMS is properly funded. This is an area suffering from the Government's inability to address the recruitment and retention crisis."
