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Mental Health Services Provision

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 February 2013

Tuesday, 26 February 2013

Questions (681, 682, 683)

Dan Neville

Question:

681. Deputy Dan Neville asked the Minister for Health the number of the promised 99 child and adolescent community mental health teams that have been delivered to date; and the number of these that are fully staffed. [9867/13]

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Dan Neville

Question:

682. Deputy Dan Neville asked the Minister for Health the number of children on the waiting list for child and adolescent mental health services; and the number that were under 16 years of age. [9868/13]

View answer

Dan Neville

Question:

683. Deputy Dan Neville asked the Minister for Health the percentage of the health budget that is spent in the children's mental health services. [9869/13]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 681 to 683, inclusive, together.

When A Vision for Change was published in 2006, there were 49 child and adolescent community mental health teams and 12 dedicated acute inpatient beds for children. Today, there are 58 community based CAMH teams and 44 acute inpatient beds, (12 in Dublin, 12 in Cork and 20 in Galway). The increase in bed capacity is reflected in an almost 50% decrease in admissions of children to adult units since 2008.

An additional 22 beds are scheduled to come on stream in 2013, (8 in Cork and 14 in Dublin), giving a projected Child and Adolescent in-patient bed capacity of 66 by the end of 2013. Planning permission has also been granted to construct a 24 bed in-patient facility on the Cherry Orchard site, Dublin and this is expected to be completed by the end of 2013/ early 2014.

Additional funding totalling €70 million has been provided as part of the last two Budgets primarily to strengthen Community Mental Health Teams for both Adults and Children. This funding is expected to provide almost 900 additional posts. The majority of the first tranche of an additional 150 Child and Adolescent Community Mental Health Team posts are expected to be in place by the end of March 2013.

As the remainder of the information sought by the Deputy relates to more detailed matters, the questions have been referred to the HSE for direct reply.

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