Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 February 2013
725. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Health if the promised €35 million investment in mental health services was delivered on in 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7292/13]
View answer726. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Health the number of additional staff appointed to mental health services due to increased investment in 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7293/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 725 and 726 together.
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. As at 30 January 2013, 204 posts have been filled (i.e. an employment contract has issued and is signed with a start date agreed) and the remainder are at various stages of selection. The majority of these posts are expected to be filled by end March 2013.
Budgetary pressures within the HSE delayed the full utilisation of this funding, but this sum is now available to mental health services along with an additional €35m and over 470 new posts allocated in Budget 2013 for the continued development of mental health services across a range of headings, including the further ongoing development of community services. I have been assured by the HSE that the recruitment process for the new posts being funded in 2013 will commence immediately and any outstanding posts from the 414 approved in 2012, will also be filled in the near future.
