Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 May 2010
104 Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for Health and Children if money raised from the sale of psychiatric institutions will be ring-fenced for mental health services; if that funding will be specifically for capital projects; the way the necessary revenue funding for new mental health services will be ensured; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20217/10]
View answer‘ A Vision for Change’ the Report of the Expert Group on Mental Health Policy recommended that a plan to bring about the closure of all psychiatric hospitals should be drawn up and implemented, and that the resources released by these closures should be re-invested in the mental health service. The Government has accepted this recommendation and accordingly the proceeds of the sale of psychiatric lands will be ringfenced to fund new mental health capital developments. In this regard, €25m of the proceeds of the sales of psychiatric lands was returned to the HSE through the Supplementary Estimate for 2009 and this funded developments, including the new child and adolescent units in Cork and Galway, a Community Nursing Unit in Ballinasloe and a day centre in Clonmel. Budget 2010 provided for a multi-annual programme of capital investment which will provide high priority mental health projects across the spectrum of mental health facilities which will be funded from future disposals. In 2010, the HSE may dispose of surplus assets and reinvest an initial sum of €50m in the mental health capital programme. Provision for continued funding of the programme will be made in the 2011 Estimates and subsequent years, in the light of the previous year’s programme of asset sales.
With regard to revenue funding, the position is that there are substantial resources already invested in mental health. Implementation of a ‘A Vision for Change’ requires that these existing resources be remodelled and reallocated. Thus, as the old institutions close, resources will be transferred to the community to facilitate the development of a dynamic and person centred community based mental health service.
