Campaigners for mental health service reform have said next week's closure of 11 beds at a unit in west Dublin will increase the risk of children being admitted to adult psychiatric wards in contravention of regulations.
The Linn Dara centre, a state-of-the-art residential unit for 22 children and adolescents, was opened just 18 months ago in Cherry Orchard Hospital, Dublin.
But it has got only half the specialist nurses it needs so half the beds are to be closed by the HSE this summer.
Mental health campaigners underline that it has been eight years since the sector's regulator, the Mental Health Commission, ruled that no child or adolescent should be admitted to adult psychiatric wards.
The Mental Health Commission said the service catering for younger children and teenagers is short of over 1,400 staff nationally.
Meanwhile, the Psychiatric Nurses' Association has criticised the HSE for failing to accept its stop-gap proposal to allow nurses come out of retirement to staff the 11 beds at Cherry Orchard.
The HSE said it is already involved in an intensive recruitment campaign but that it is open to exploring all options. However, it confirmed that the 11 beds will close temporarily for the summer next Thursday.
