Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 December 2013
11. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health the reason the programme for Government commitment on ringfenced funding of €35 million for community mental health posts is not being honoured in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54108/13]
View answer21. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health the way mental health services will be developed in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54109/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 11 and 21 together.
This Government has prioritised the reform of our mental health services in line with A Vision for Change and is committed in particular to the delivery of more and better quality care in the community. Towards this end, funding of €70 million and 890 posts have been provided to develop our community mental health services in 2012 and 2013.
In Budget 2014, the Government has again re-committed to the continued development of our mental health services in these extremely challenging times, where the options for additional expenditure generally are very constrained. €20 million is being ringfenced for the further development of our mental health services in 2014. This means that, despite serious resource pressures overall, funding of €90m has been made available since 2012 up to end of 2014, which has been specifically ear-marked for mental health and suicide prevention.
This funding will enable the HSE to continue to develop and modernise our mental health services in line with the recommendations of A Vision for Change and will allow for the recruitment of between 250 and 280 additional staff to further enhance our:
- Adult Community Mental Health Teams;
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Teams;
- Specialist Mental Health Teams
The recruitment process for these new posts will commence in the first Quarter of 2014, with all posts targeted to be in place by Quarter 4 of 2014.
I can confirm to the Deputy that I have been assured that the remaining €15 million which was due in 2014 for mental health will be restored in 2015. I will also be advocating for an allocation of €35 million in 2015 for mental health.
