Underfunding of eating disorder services must be addressed immediately – Clarke

The Sinn Féin TD for Longford Westmeath has called on government to address the “shocking underfunding” of eating disorder services in Ireland.

Teachta Sorca Clarke said: “Nearing the end of 2023, figures found that adult hospital admissions for eating disorders were at an all-time high. It is said to be the highest in a decade.

“We must remember that the people who were admitted to hospital are only a fraction of the people experiencing eating disorders in Ireland.

“There are too many obstacles to receiving treatment in Ireland. This must change.

“Every single person experiencing an eating disorder deserves the appropriate care and support.

“There is a lack of adequate resources locally, and across Ireland. Rural areas cannot continue to be treated as an afterthought by government. It is a concerning issue. Lack of adequate funding and support translates into inadequate support for individuals who need it the most.

“There has been a propensity from government to react to crises, rather than adequately plan for the future in terms of staffing resources and funding for these services. Underfunding of services results in long waiting times for treatment, a lack of specialised care facilities and limited access to necessary trained professionals. It can also be harmful to prevention and early intervention programmes.

“The people of Longford Westmeath cannot wait any longer. We now need to see a sense of urgency by government in addressing this crisis.

“The National Clinical Programme for Eating Disorders requires three new teams to be delivered each year to meet its target. Last year, there was no new funding allocated to eating disorders, and this year there will be new funding for just one eating disorder team. This is not good enough.

“Sinn Féin in government would fully fund the National Clinical Programme for Eating Disorders as laid out in our alternative budget. We would end the recruitment freeze in the HSE to be able to deliver these teams.

“The government are out of ideas and are now out of time. We need a change of government. We need a government that will listen and will act in the best interests of those with eating disorders.”