A senior HSE official has said claims by the whistleblower in the scandal over the inappropriate prescribing of medication to children that he was “sidelined” and “undermined” will be examined.

The raising of concerns by locum consultant psychiatrist Dr Ankur Sharma about the performance of a junior doctor at South Kerry Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) sparked the review which today found 227 children received “risky” treatment with proof of “significant harm” in 46 cases.

Dr Sharma has claimed that such was his treatment after turning whistleblower, he was left with no other option but to resign from his role in South Kerry.

He subsequently went to work at another CAMHS service, but later decided to quit working for the HSE altogether such was his disillusionment with how child mental health services were being run.

Michael Fitzgerald, head of Cork-Kerry Community Healthcare in the HSE, was quizzed about the alleged treatment of Dr Sharma on Radio Kerry this morning.

Initially, he declined to address the issue, saying: “I am certainly not going to get into talking about any individual. I don’t think that would be fair or appropriate in any way.”

Pressed by journalist Jerry O’Sullivan on whether Dr Sharma’s claims would be looked into by the HSE, he confirmed they would be.

“Of course. We have internal processes in the HSE to examine any and all of that. We are also bound, driven by legislation, in order to do so. So, there is no issue with regard to...

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