Minister of State with Responsibility for Mental Health Mary Butler has expressed her gratitude to the whistleblower who highlighted concerns in Kerry Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.
It comes after it emerged that Dr Maya Sharma has been forced to sleep rough in London, having had difficulties in finding work since raising red flags about prescribing practices at South Kerry CAMHS.
The psychiatrist's concerns have since been vindicated in two major HSE reports. The Maskey and Halpin Reviews concluded that hundreds of children were put in harm's way due to the care they received, including the prescribing of heavy anti-psychotic medication.
Dr Sharma, who was known as Dr Ankur Sharma when working in Kerry but has since transitioned female, claims they were "blacklisted" and "ghosted" after their whistleblowing.
Dr Sharma took a lawsuit against the HSE over alleged mistreatment after turning a whistleblower. Although the HSE filed a defence in the case, a settlement was reached following mediation - with the Executive paying out €75,000 in damages.
Their case was raised by now President Catherine Connolly in the Dáil in 2023, who said the medic was "sidelined and obliged to leave the country".
Dr Sharma has since been unable to find full-time employment in England, telling RTÉ's Drivetime how they feel adverse perceptions may have preceded their arrival in the UK.
Correspondence shows how a job offer was withdrawn in 2025 after the NHS Trust in question received a negative reference for Dr Sharma from the HSE.
The doctor is currently living in homeless shelter accommodation in London, having previously resorted to spending nights at London's Heathrow Airport.
Dr Sharma is trying to re-register with the Irish Medical Council to return to work here.
Listen: Dr Maya Sharma speaks to Barry Lenihan on RTÉ's Drivetime programme
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Minister Butler paid tribute to Dr Sharma for their role in bringing prescribing and diagnostic concerns in Kerry to light.
"I am very grateful to Dr Sharma for their service and for coming forward with their concerns. They have made a profound difference to the quality of mental health services for children in Kerry which are now vastly improved and the best staffed in the country," she said.
Ms Butler also defended the HSE's treatment of whistleblowers.
"I am confident the recent changes made by the HSE, including the establishment of a new National Office for Protected Disclosures, will provide more structured support to whistleblowers and ensure whistleblowers can report issues confidentially," she said.
Sinn Féin Kerry TD Pa Daly also paid tribute to Dr Sharma, but added their case raises serious concerns.
"This whole scandal would never have been uncovered but for Dr Sharma. It's one of the greatest scandals in recent Irish history and we are still learning more as seen by the recent review of North Kerry CAMHS," said Deputy Daly.
A spokesperson for the HSE said: "The HSE is committed to protecting workers from penalisation or a threat of penalisation because the worker made a protected disclosure. Acts of penalisation will not be tolerated. The HSE has taken significant steps to improve processes around Protected Disclosures in the organisation."
"The updated HSE National Procedures for the Handling of Protected Disclosures was approved by the Board of the HSE during 2025 and have taken effect from October 2025," they added.
