I must now deal with a postponed division relating to a motion re mental health services. On Wednesday, 5 October 2016, on the question that the amendment to the motion be agreed to, a division was claimed and in accordance with Standing Order 70(2) that division must be taken now.
Mental Health Services: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members]
The following motion was moved by Deputy Mary Lou McDonald on Wednesday, 5 October 2016:
That Dáil Éireann:
notes that:
- 2016 marks the 10th anniversary of the publication of the Report of the Expert Group on Mental Health Policy entitled A Vision for Change, which laid out a pathway to progressive, modern and recovery-based mental health care in Ireland;
- despite plans for its complete implementation by 2016, much of the strategy is incomplete and many of its recommendations are still to be implemented;
- the crisis in our mental health service has been exacerbated by the failure to implement A Vision for Change in full;
- the current Programme for Government provides no significant detail on plans for the implementation of the reforms laid down in A Vision for Change; and
- there remains no state-wide 24/7 crisis intervention adult mental health service in this State, a major recommendation of A Vision for Change;
recognises that:
- without a 24/7 crisis intervention adult mental health service, the lives and health of people in mental health distress are being put at great risk;
- it is the responsibility of the State to ensure that those who need crisis mental health supports receive that support in a timely and efficient fashion in line with international best practice;
- 66 per cent of all people who are admitted to an Irish acute mental health unit are readmitted within 12 months and Ireland’s 30 day readmission rate is double that of the United Kingdom; and
- the alarmingly high rate of readmissions for mental health difficulties is due to a lack of outpatient community intervention services which are accessible and flexible; and
resolves that the Government must:
- publish within three months, an implementation plan for a seven-day-a-week adult mental health service in every catchment area to be completed within 12 months;
- open recruiting to employ a full complement of staff to provide a multidisciplinary team for these units which can also operate home visits seven-days-a-week;
- provide immediate funding for, and begin the establishment of, a crisis house in every catchment area as an alternative to in-patient care; and
- publish a detailed implementation plan for the full roll out of 24/7 multidisciplinary crisis intervention adult mental health services in every catchment area within 12 months.
Amendment No. 1:
To delete all words after “Dáil Éireann” and substitute the following:
"notes:
— in line with the Programme for a Partnership Government, the Government acknowledges that:
— 2016 marks the 10th anniversary of the publication of the Report of the Expert Group on Mental Health Policy entitled A Vision for Change, which laid out a pathway to progressive, modern and recovery-based mental health care in Ireland;
— the critical importance of prioritising mental health policy and service development;
— the need to increase the mental health budget annually during the lifetime of the Government, building on the substantial additional funding provided for mental health services between 2012 and 2016; and
— the need to further develop crisis and 24/7 responses, building on the investment to date in Acute Units and in supports at community level;
recognises that the Government is committed to:
— continuing to implement A Vision for Change, in a manner which recognises geographical accessibility, in the spirit of both the Programme for a Partnership Government and the Confidence and Supply Arrangement;
— increasing the mental health budget annually during the lifetime of the Government building on the substantial additional funding provided for mental health services between 2012 and 2016;
— completing an evidence-based expert review of the current status of implementation in Ireland and of international best practice in the area of mental health;
— establishing an oversight committee within three months, to oversee the development of a new policy for mental health based on the outcome of the expert review; and
— directing the Health Service Executive to develop a multi-annual approach to the development of mental health services."
- (Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Helen McEntee)
Amendment put:
The Dáil divided: Tá, 61; Staon, 36; Níl, 37.
Tá
- Bailey, Maria.
- Barrett, Seán.
- Brophy, Colm.
- Bruton, Richard.
- Burke, Peter.
- Burton, Joan.
- Byrne, Catherine.
- Canney, Seán.
- Cannon, Ciarán.
- Carey, Joe.
- Collins, Michael.
- Corcoran Kennedy, Marcella.
- Coveney, Simon.
- Creed, Michael.
- D'Arcy, Michael.
- Daly, Jim.
- Deasy, John.
- Deering, Pat.
- Doherty, Regina.
- Donohoe, Paschal.
- Doyle, Andrew.
- Durkan, Bernard J.
- English, Damien.
- Farrell, Alan.
- Fitzgerald, Frances.
- Fitzpatrick, Peter.
- Flanagan, Charles.
- Griffin, Brendan.
- Harris, Simon.
- Harty, Michael.
- Healy-Rae, Danny.
- Heydon, Martin.
- Howlin, Brendan.
- Humphreys, Heather.
- Kehoe, Paul.
- Kelly, Alan.
- Kenny, Enda.
- Kyne, Seán.
- McEntee, Helen.
- McGrath, Finian.
- McHugh, Joe.
- McLoughlin, Tony.
- Madigan, Josepha.
- Mitchell O'Connor, Mary.
- Moran, Kevin Boxer.
- Murphy, Dara.
- Naughten, Denis.
- Neville, Tom.
- Noonan, Michael.
- O'Connell, Kate.
- O'Dowd, Fergus.
- O'Sullivan, Jan.
- Phelan, John Paul.
- Ring, Michael.
- Rock, Noel.
- Ross, Shane.
- Ryan, Brendan.
- Sherlock, Sean.
- Stanton, David.
- Varadkar, Leo.
- Zappone, Katherine.
Níl
- Barry, Mick.
- Boyd Barrett, Richard.
- Brady, John.
- Broughan, Thomas P.
- Buckley, Pat.
- Collins, Joan.
- Connolly, Catherine.
- Coppinger, Ruth.
- Crowe, Seán.
- Cullinane, David.
- Daly, Clare.
- Doherty, Pearse.
- Ellis, Dessie.
- Ferris, Martin.
- Fitzmaurice, Michael.
- Funchion, Kathleen.
- Healy, Seamus.
- Kenny, Gino.
- Kenny, Martin.
- McDonald, Mary Lou.
- Martin, Catherine.
- Mitchell, Denise.
- Munster, Imelda.
- Murphy, Catherine.
- Murphy, Paul.
- Nolan, Carol.
- Ó Caoláin, Caoimhghín.
- Ó Laoghaire, Donnchadh.
- O'Brien, Jonathan.
- O'Reilly, Louise.
- Pringle, Thomas.
- Quinlivan, Maurice.
- Shortall, Róisín.
- Smith, Bríd.
- Stanley, Brian.
- Tóibín, Peadar.
- Wallace, Mick.
Staon
- Aylward, Bobby.
- Brassil, John.
- Breathnach, Declan.
- Browne, James.
- Butler, Mary.
- Byrne, Thomas.
- Cahill, Jackie.
- Calleary, Dara.
- Casey, Pat.
- Cassells, Shane.
- Chambers, Jack.
- Chambers, Lisa.
- Cowen, Barry.
- Curran, John.
- Dooley, Timmy.
- Fleming, Sean.
- Haughey, Seán.
- Kelleher, Billy.
- Lahart, John.
- MacSharry, Marc.
- McConalogue, Charlie.
- McGrath, Michael.
- McGuinness, John.
- Martin, Micheál.
- Moynihan, Aindrias.
- Murphy O'Mahony, Margaret.
- Murphy, Eugene.
- O'Brien, Darragh.
- O'Callaghan, Jim.
- O'Dea, Willie.
- O'Keeffe, Kevin.
- O'Loughlin, Fiona.
- Rabbitte, Anne.
- Scanlon, Eamon.
- Smith, Brendan.
- Troy, Robert.
Tellers: Tá, Deputies Regina Doherty and Jim Daly; Níl, Deputies Denise Mitchell and Pat Buckley.
Amendment declared carried.
Question put: "That the motion, as amended, be agreed to."
The Dáil divided: Tá, 59; Staon, 36; Níl, 37.
Tá
- Bailey, Maria.
- Barrett, Seán.
- Brophy, Colm.
- Bruton, Richard.
- Burke, Peter.
- Burton, Joan.
- Byrne, Catherine.
- Canney, Seán.
- Cannon, Ciarán.
- Carey, Joe.
- Corcoran Kennedy, Marcella.
- Coveney, Simon.
- Creed, Michael.
- D'Arcy, Michael.
- Daly, Jim.
- Deasy, John.
- Deering, Pat.
- Doherty, Regina.
- Donohoe, Paschal.
- Doyle, Andrew.
- Durkan, Bernard J.
- English, Damien.
- Farrell, Alan.
- Fitzgerald, Frances.
- Fitzpatrick, Peter.
- Flanagan, Charles.
- Griffin, Brendan.
- Harris, Simon.
- Harty, Michael.
- Heydon, Martin.
- Howlin, Brendan.
- Humphreys, Heather.
- Kehoe, Paul.
- Kelly, Alan.
- Kenny, Enda.
- Kyne, Seán.
- McEntee, Helen.
- McGrath, Finian.
- McHugh, Joe.
- McLoughlin, Tony.
- Madigan, Josepha.
- Mitchell O'Connor, Mary.
- Moran, Kevin Boxer.
- Murphy, Dara.
- Naughten, Denis.
- Neville, Tom.
- Noonan, Michael.
- O'Connell, Kate.
- O'Dowd, Fergus.
- O'Sullivan, Jan.
- Phelan, John Paul.
- Ring, Michael.
- Rock, Noel.
- Ross, Shane.
- Ryan, Brendan.
- Sherlock, Sean.
- Stanton, David.
- Varadkar, Leo.
- Zappone, Katherine.
Níl
- Barry, Mick.
- Boyd Barrett, Richard.
- Brady, John.
- Broughan, Thomas P.
- Buckley, Pat.
- Collins, Joan.
- Connolly, Catherine.
- Coppinger, Ruth.
- Crowe, Seán.
- Cullinane, David.
- Daly, Clare.
- Doherty, Pearse.
- Ellis, Dessie.
- Ferris, Martin.
- Fitzmaurice, Michael.
- Funchion, Kathleen.
- Healy, Seamus.
- Kenny, Gino.
- Kenny, Martin.
- McDonald, Mary Lou.
- Martin, Catherine.
- Mitchell, Denise.
- Munster, Imelda.
- Murphy, Catherine.
- Murphy, Paul.
- Nolan, Carol.
- Ó Caoláin, Caoimhghín.
- Ó Laoghaire, Donnchadh.
- O'Brien, Jonathan.
- O'Reilly, Louise.
- Pringle, Thomas.
- Quinlivan, Maurice.
- Shortall, Róisín.
- Smith, Bríd.
- Stanley, Brian.
- Tóibín, Peadar.
- Wallace, Mick.
Staon
- Aylward, Bobby.
- Brassil, John.
- Breathnach, Declan.
- Browne, James.
- Butler, Mary.
- Byrne, Thomas.
- Cahill, Jackie.
- Calleary, Dara.
- Casey, Pat.
- Cassells, Shane.
- Chambers, Jack.
- Chambers, Lisa.
- Cowen, Barry.
- Curran, John.
- Dooley, Timmy.
- Fleming, Sean.
- Haughey, Seán.
- Kelleher, Billy.
- Lahart, John.
- MacSharry, Marc.
- McConalogue, Charlie.
- McGrath, Michael.
- McGuinness, John.
- Martin, Micheál.
- Moynihan, Aindrias.
- Murphy O'Mahony, Margaret.
- Murphy, Eugene.
- O'Brien, Darragh.
- O'Callaghan, Jim.
- O'Dea, Willie.
- O'Keeffe, Kevin.
- O'Loughlin, Fiona.
- Rabbitte, Anne.
- Scanlon, Eamon.
- Smith, Brendan.
- Troy, Robert.
Tellers: Tá, Deputies Regina Doherty and Jim Daly; Níl, Deputies Pat Buckley and Denise Mitchell.
Question declared carried.