Mental Health Awareness

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 10 April 2014

Thursday, 10 April 2014

Questions (206)

Maureen O'Sullivan

Question:

206. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if he will address the reasons mental health promotion is not mentioned in the White Paper under health and wellbeing services; if he will ensure that primary care mental health services such as counselling services, as referred by GPs, will be included; if he will ensure that medical card holders will not lose their existing access to counselling through primary care services; if he will clarify whether mental health promotion, which focuses on protective factors and prevention reducing hospital costs in the long run will be included in publicly-funded health and well-being services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17178/14]

Written answers

Minister for Health

The Programme for Government commits to the development of a modern, community-based mental health service and to the inclusion of a comprehensive range of mental health services within the standard UHI package.

The White Paper on Universal Health Insurance was published by Government on 2 April 2014. The White Paper indicates that under UHI, citizens will have access to a package of primary and acute hospital services, including acute mental health services. It also sets out policy proposals for the treatment of different service areas, including mental health and health and well-being, within the overall health basket. These proposals are not intended to be prescriptive about the services they encompass. They are intended to aid and guide the work of the Expert Commission which the Government will be establishing shortly.

The Expert Commission, which will consult widely, will be tasked with providing a series of costed options to the Government on the range of services to be included within the UHI standard package of services or within the overall health basket. The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children will also review the costed options presented by the Commission. The final decision on the services to be included in the UHI standard package and the overall health basket will be made by the Government. It is the Government's intention that medical card holders will continue to receive the same range of benefits under the future model.