Gay Mitchell
Question:68 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will make a statement on the report of Amnesty International, Mental Illness: The Neglected Quarter. [11617/03]
Written Answers. - Mental Health Services.
Michael D. Higgins
Question:89 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Health and Children the steps being taken to address the serious shortcomings identified in the recently published report from Amnesty International, Mental Illness: The Neglected Quarter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12011/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 68 and 89 together.
Amnesty International's recently published report, Mental Illness: The Neglected Quarter highlighted areas of genuine concern in relation to mental health services. These are concerns which the Government shares and which it intends to address. The Amnesty report acknowledges the significant advances made in this country in the provision of community psychiatry, nursing services, community residences, day hospitals and day centres since the publication of the landmark 1984 report, Planning for the Future.
In the period 1999-2002, an additional €70.7 million was invested in the mental health services. In the current year, additional revenue funding of €7.6 million will be provided for ongoing improvements in mental health services, to develop and expand community mental health services, to increase child and adolescent services, to expand the old age psychiatry services, to provide liaison psychiatry services in general hospitals and to enhance the support provided to voluntary agencies.
Substantial progress has been made in developing community-based services as an alternative to hospitalisation. There are now 19 general hospital psychiatric units operational, a further two units will become available to their mental health services in the near future, two are under construction and several others are at various stages of planning. In relation to community residences, there are approximately 400 community psychiatric residences in the country providing over 3,000 places.
The Amnesty report also acknowledges the funding which is being made available by Government to support groups and organisations such as Schizophrenia Ireland, Mental Health Ireland, GROW and Aware to heighten awareness and develop support services for service users and carers.
I particularly welcome the report's recommendation for a comprehensive review of the mental health services, which reflects a commitment in the health strategy, Quality and Fairness, to the development of a new national policy framework on mental health. Work on this review is expected to commence shortly.
In describing the shortcomings and deficiencies of the existing mental health services, this report has highlighted the scale of the challenge facing both the Government and Irish society as a whole, in seeking to reduce the stigma traditionally associated with mental illness and, by extension, the mental health services.
The Mental Health Commission, established in April of last year under the provisions of the Mental Health Act 2001, has an important role to play in improving the quality of our mental health services. The establishment of the commission was welcomed by Amnesty International in its report. The primary functions of the commission are to promote and foster high standards and good practices in the delivery of mental health services and to ensure that the interests of detained persons are protected. The Mental Health Commission is now working, along with officials from my Department, to put in place the structures required for its new role.
I am committed to improving the quality of care and service delivery in the mental health services and I will be seeking additional resources for this purpose during my term of office as Minister of State.