A specialist eating disorder treatment hub due to open in Dublin has been delayed.
It comes just a week after it was confirmed that progress on another treatment unit has also been held up.
A government plan from 2018 envisaged opening 16 specialist eating disorder treatment hubs across the country.
But years later, just 3 are operating.
One was meant to open in Dublin’s Mount Carmel this year, but it has been pushed back to 2022.
And it has now been confirmed that a separate hub for the north Dublin area has also been delayed, now not opening until the third quarter of next year.
Social Democrats TD Holly Cairns says this isn’t good enough, while CEO of Mental Health Reform Fiona Coyle says the delays have a massive impact on those suffering.
The HSE says recruitment of staff for the treatment hubs is at an advanced stage, and has allocated more funds to open other units.
Reporting by Paul O'Donoghue