Eating Disorders
Dail Éireann — 2025-12-09
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Naoise Ó Muirí (FG), Dublin Bay North

I thank the Minister of State for her response, and I acknowledge the development and service development work that has gone into this in the past number of years. As she set out, we started from a very low base, but it is hugely positive that the service is being developed.
It is important we recognise the challenges that many people face in our communities. Reduced service hours during the Christmas period has the potential of having a really negative effect and I really welcome the commitment from the HSE and the confirmation that teams will make direct arrangements and communicate. That is very positive. I appreciate that significant progress has been made through the national clinical programme. If these specialist services and structures are built, it is important they be available to people at those periods of heightened vulnerability like Christmas. Looking beyond Christmas, the review of the model of care for eating disorders will be crucial in improving how we respond to those challenges and I noted in a recent response to a parliamentary question that the bed capacity review is back from the HSE and is with the Department and the Minister of State. Can she give us any insight as to what that looks like? In-patient bed capacity is absolutely vital for dealing with all elements of these cases. It is an area that is complex, long misunderstood and that has been underinvested in and under-resourced. It is great to see resources going in. We must learn from those lessons coming through the national clinical programme and deliver evidence-based, dependable and well-co-ordinated services that support recovery from eating disorders at every stage in the life cycle. I thank the Minister of State for her work to date and urge her to prioritise clear communication, good strong solid community supports and renewed commitment to getting full implementation of a revised model of care once it is agreed.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2025-12-09/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:26+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-12-09