Some 75,000 people have signed a petition against the government’s plans to scrap child mental health services from health insurance and transfer treatment to local council control.

From 2015, local councils will be given responsibility for dealing with child mental health issues. ‘But psychiatric conditions such as anorexia and depression are not something for local authorities, where heavy cuts are being made,’ the petition organisers say. ‘These are problems for special psychiatric help.’

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The petition was set up by a number of youth specialists and has been signed by psychiatrists, over 1,000 family doctors, hundreds of school heads, tens of thousands of parents and over 1,000 academics.

Opponents of the plan, which has been passed by the lower house of parliament, are pinning their hopes on opposition in the senate. The government does not have a majority in the upper house. 

The senate’s health committee is due to discuss the shift in responsibility on Tuesday. Government senators also have their doubts about the plan, Nos television says.