The HSE's Cork Kerry Community Healthcare has announced that it will conduct a review of the care of all children currently being treated by North Kerry CAMHS service, after a random audit of 50 files revealed what the HSE is describing as 'potential concerns' in the care of 16 of those 50 children.
RTÉ News understands that the concerns raised in the random audit relate to prescribing practices, as well as "some clinical concerns about the professional practice of a clinician".
The HSE says that clinician "is not working at this time".
Cork Kerry Community Healthcare says it received the final report of the random audit of 50 files on Saturday night.
The random audit was commissioned by Cork Kerry Community Healthcare following publication of the Maskey report, which uncovered serious failings in the CAMHS service in South Kerry.
It was conducted by a team of CAMHS consultants.
Cork Kerry Community Healthcare has already offered a clinical review to 11 of the 16 children where it says potential concerns have been revealed.
It says it is making direct contact today with the other five young people to offer them a clinical review too.
The North Kerry review will be similar in scale and structure to the lookback review conducted by London-based child and adolescent psychiatrist, Dr Sean Maskey, into the CAMHS service in South Kerry.
That review - published in January of last year - examined the care of around 1,300 children.
It found that 46 children had suffered significant harm while in the care of South Kerry CAMHS, and 227 had been exposed to the risk of significant harm.
Dr Sean Maskey will not conduct the North Kerry review.
Instead, work is getting underway to assemble a team to conduct that review.
The review will be chaired by an expert from outside the CAMHS services in North Kerry and South Kerry.
A spokeswoman from the HSE's Cork Kerry Community Healthcare said she could not say how far back the review will look.
Read more: 'Serious concerns' in child mental health services
The review will begin by examining the care of children currently being treated by the CAMHS service in North Kerry.
"We are working to identify a clinical lead so that the review has the necessary external, independent oversight," the spokeswoman for Cork Kerry Community Healthcare told RTÉ News.
"The review will first look at the files of young people who are currently under the care of North Kerry CAMHS.
"Information from that review of current files will inform the next phase of the lookback review, which will be into previous cases.
"Our priority is to make sure that the young people involved, their families and ourselves are reassured that they receive the best possible and most appropriate care."
Cork Kerry Community Healthcare said that if anybody needs further care, it will ensure they are provided with that "as quickly as possible".
The spokeswoman said it was not possible to say at this stage how many young people would have their care reviewed.
"However, we can say that this will be an extensive review," the spokeswoman said.
Keith Rolls, a solicitor acting for families and children who have been affected by failings in the CAMHS service, says any review needs to examine the care of children who were patients of the CAMHS services in Kerry and are now no longer in the care of those services.
He said he believes the review needs to extend over the past 15 years.
The Cork Kerry Community Healthcare spokeswoman said it appreciated that news of the random audit will cause considerable concern for young people who are, or were, under the care of North Kerry CAMHS.
She said Cork Kerry Community Healthcare is or will be in direct contact as soon as possible with any young person or their family where concerns have been raised to date.
And she said anyone who is under the care of North Kerry CAMHS and who has concerns can contact the Kerry CAMHS helpline on 1800-742-800, from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Those opening hour are currently extended from 8am to 8pm.
