Close to 30 children receiving mental health care were accommodated in adult psychiatric units across parts of the country in 2021, including Cavan and Monaghan.
That's according to information released recently in response to a Parliamentary Question from TD Mark Ward.
The Sinn Féin spokesperson on mental health said he had received information that 27 children spent a total of 87 days in adult psychiatric facilities last year, despite there being free CAMHS bed capacity at the time of their admissions.
He called the findings "extremely worrying", and said that the reason given to him by the HSE was that "some areas do not offer an emergency out-of-hours service," which included local counties Cavan and Monaghan.
Mr Ward said it was "scandalous" that 11 out of 26 counties across the state do not offer an emergency out-of-hours service for children suffering from mental distress.
He added that this was yet another "abject failure" on the provision of children's mental health care.
