(Ireland) Wexford: GASLIGHTING--Children with ADHD put on waiting lists, not given services

May 5, 2026, CAMHS accused of ‘gaslighting’ vulnerable Wexford families over ADHD referrals | Irish Independent

Families in Wexford being refused services from HSE's Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) have been encouraged to appeal their decision following a recent response from the HSE which states that patients are put on a waiting list.

However, Wicklow-Wexford TD Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin has said the CAHMS service is gaslighting vulnerable families.

Deputy Ó Súilleabháin said he has been contacted regularly by local families suffering due to the lack of state care provided. “These families have had one thing in common- a child diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

“They consistently report that Wexford CAHMS refuse referrals for children diagnosed with ADHD but according to the HSE they should not be refused,” he added.

Deputy Ó Súilleabháin is now calling on families to appeal the decisions previously made to ensure children can be referred for ADHD and related treatments.

Following a response from the HSE which said that referral patients enter a waiting list, Deputy Ó Súilleabháin said parents have reported that referrals for ADHD are, “screened out at triage and never reach a waiting list at all. The use of waiting lists is masking the exclusion.

“While the HSE is attempting to gaslight these families, they are forgetting the vulnerable youth who are suffering every day and have no access to state support services,” he added. . . .

Deputy Ó Súilleabháin has previously shared his concerns and frustration with the CAHMS services after it recently confirmed there has been no Occupational Therapist in both north and south Wexford teams since July 2025.

In January, it was reported that the north Wexford CAMHS team had a waiting list of 84 children. Out of that number, 22 of these children have been waiting up to 12 months.