Vol. 561 No. 1
368 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Health and Children if his Department has plans to increase funding for the mental health sector in view of the fact that only 7% of the health budget is allocated to mental health and the World Health Organisation recommends that there should be, at the very least, parity between mental health services and other health services. [3488/03]
While the Deputy is correct in stating that funding allocated to mental health amounts to 7% of the total health budget at present, he has failed to acknowledge the real progress that has been made in recent years. The level of additional revenue funding provided by my Department to health boards for the provision of mental health services since 1999 comes to €78.3 million. In the current year additional revenue funding of €7.6 million will be provided for ongoing developments in mental health services. Approximately €190 million capital funding is being provided over the lifetime of the national development plan to fund the development of acute psychiatric units linked to general hospitals as a replacement of services previously provided in psychiatric hospitals.
369 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Health and Children if his Department has plans to gather data or conduct research on the mental health needs of Ireland's homeless, in view of the fact that it is impossible to plan a tailored and responsive mental health service for this population in the absence of such data and research. [3489/03]
396 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Health and Children if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the last homeless count does not show any data or analysis on the mental health needs of Ireland's homeless and that this absence means that service planners and advocates must operate on estimates which put the prevalence of mental illness in this community at between 25 and 50 per cent; if his attention has further been drawn to the difficulties in planning a tailored and responsive mental health service for this population in the absence of the required data and research; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3587/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 369 and 396 together.
I am aware that the homeless are a high risk group in relation to a number of health conditions, including mental illness. The main difficulty in relation to adult homelessness has been in the Dublin area and, in order to address this, the Eastern Regional Health Authority has appointed a director of homelessness who is working closely with the three area health boards in implementing the provisions of "Homelessness – An Integrated Strategy" published in May 2000. The work of the three area health boards includes measures to improve mental health services for people who are homeless. Since 2000 the Department of Health and Children has allocated €18.34 million to health boards to deal with homelessness with an additional €2.66 million allocated for 2003.
The recently published health strategy Quality and Fairness – A Health System for You, includes a commitment to prepare a new national policy framework for the further modernisation of mental health services. Work on the framework is expected to commence later this year. All aspects of mental health service provision, including services for the homeless, will be examined and the need for additional research in this field will be among the matters for consideration.
370 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Health and Children the progress to date in implementing the recommendation of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture that psychiatric services in Irish prisons be reorganised as a matter of urgency. [3490/03]
397 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Health and Children if his attention has been drawn to national and international reports condemning the physical infrastructure of the Central Mental Hospital; his plans to allocate necessary resources for the refurbishment of the hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3588/03]
398 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Health and Children if his attention has been drawn to the transfer delays often faced by prisoners suffering mental illness who when transferred from prison to local district hospitals for treatment are often referred to the Central Mental Hospital; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that overcrowding in the Central Mental Hospital means that some prisoners are returned to prison before they are well; his plans to provide in-patient treatment for these prisoners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3589/03]
434 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Health and Children his views on the continued placing of prisoners with mental illness in isolation cells for lengthy periods of time which, according to Amnesty International, may amount to inhuman and degrading treatment and violate international standards for humane detention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3787/03]
435 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Health and Children if psychiatric services have been reorganised as urged by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture which visited here in 2002; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3788/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 370, 397, 398, 434 and 435 together.
371 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Health and Children if his Department has plans to improve mental health services for children. [3491/03]
A working group was established by my Department in June 2000 to review child and adolescent psychiatry and to finalise a plan for its future development. The first report of the working group on child and adolescent psychiatric services was presented to the Minister on 1 March 2001. The report contains recommendations on the development of services for the management and treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorders and hyperactivity kinetic disorder, ADHD-HKD, and proposals for the development of child and adolescent psychiatric in-patient units. The working group recommended that a total of seven in-patient psychiatric units for children ranging from six to 16 years should be developed throughout the country. Project teams have been established in respect of the proposed units in Cork, Limerick, Galway and one in the Eastern Regional Health Authority area at St. Vincent's Hospital, Fairview. The recently published health strategy Quality and Fairness – A Health System for You includes a commitment to the implementation of the recommendations of the working group's report.
The development of child and adolescent psychiatric services has been a priority in recent years. In 2002, additional revenue funding of €6.061 million was allocated to provide for the appointment of additional consultants to enhance existing consultant-led multi-disciplinary teams and towards the establishment of further teams. A further €1.64 million was allocated in 2003. Each health board now has funding for a minimum of three consultant-led child and adolescent multi-disciplinary teams.
