The remaining 112 children were aged 16 and 17 and all were placed in adult wards when no child psychiatric beds were available.

In comparison, some 272 children aged 17 and under were placed in adult psychiatric wards in 2005, including one child aged 12, and 38 aged between 12 and 15. In 2004, 293 children aged 17 and under were placed in adult psychiatric facilities; 26 of these were aged between 12 and 15.

The Irish Mental Health Coalition, Barnardos and numerous child psychiatrists have repeatedly highlighted the problems associated with placing children in adult psychiatric units. Child psychiatrist Dr Keith Holmes said Ireland only had half the recommended number of child psychiatric beds. "It's completely inappropriate to put children in with adults because some of them have serious psychiatric problems that can really affect the child. But sometimes we have no choice, " he said.

Before the implementation of Part II of the Mental Health Act last November, over-16s were traditionally cared for in acute adult psychiatric services.

The HSE has made 12m funding available to develop inpatient and communitybased child and adolescent mental health services, including in Dublin, Cork and Galway.