Almost 2,700 children and young adults (2691) are waiting for an HSE appointment. The HSE figures, obtained by Fianna Fail, show include almost 400 waiting longer than 12 months.
Fianna Fáil's health spokesperson, James Browne, says the State's failure to properly resource the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) will be a "stain on its legacy".
Hea said: “Waiting times and lists are getting longer and there are major service gaps in certain parts of the county, such as Cork and Kerry.
“Telling GPs to refer children and young adults to Emergency Departments is wholly inappropriate. In all too many EDs, there is no access to CAMHS professionals, and it is not fair on the patients and their families."
He added: “Minister (of State for mental health and older people Jim) Daly must get to the root of the problem, and if necessary secure private sector support to reduce these lists and waiting times.
"If the Government doesn’t, it will go down as one of the worst failings in our country’s history."
The HSE says the issue centres around their difficulty in recruiting and retaining mental health professionals.
