Mental Health Services Report

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 24 January 2013

Thursday, 24 January 2013

Questions (203)

Nicky McFadden

Question:

203. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Health the way funding to improve mental health services will be targeted in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3552/13]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

Implementation of A Vision for Change the 2006 Report of the Expert Group on Mental Health Policy is a priority for this Government. In 2012, a special allocation of €35m was provided for mental health to be used primarily to further strengthen Community Mental Health Teams in both adult and children's mental health services, to advance activities in the area of suicide prevention, to initiate the provision of psychological and counselling services in primary care, specifically for people with mental health problems and to facilitate the re-location of mental health service users from institutional care to more independent living arrangements in their communities, in line with A Vision for Change.

414 posts were approved to implement the €35m package of special measures. To date 175 have been filled, 171 posts have been accepted subject to process clearances (references, garda vetting etc) and the remainder are at various stages of selection. The majority of these posts will be filled by end March 2013. Full year costs for all these posts will be met from HSE 2013 base allocation.

The announcement in Budget 2013 of a further €35m for the continued development of our mental health services is additional to the €35m provided in Budget 2012. The HSE National Service Plan, which was recently approved by the Minister for Health, commits to the further development of suicide prevention initiatives, forensics and community mental health teams for adults, children, older persons and mental health intellectual disability and to the recruitment of over 470 additional staff to implement these measures. I have received assurances from the HSE that the recruitment process for the 2013 new posts, and any outstanding 2012 posts, will commence immediately.