Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 31 January 2017
574. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Health the role of his Department on the commitment in the confidence and supply arrangement on fully implementing A Vision for Change in the area of mental health. [38670/16]
View answerSince 2012, the Government has added around €115 million to the HSE Mental Health Budget; an increase of around 16% up to end 2016. The Programme for Partnership Government gives a clear commitment to increasing our mental health budget annually, as resources allow, to expand existing services. In 2014 and 2015 funding was directed to reconfiguration of general adult teams, including psychiatry of later life, and also child and adolescent community mental health services and the strengthening of community teams. In 2016 it was directed towards improvement of counselling services; enhanced Community Mental Health teams; improved 7/7 response and Liaison Services; Psychiatry-of-Later-Life; and Perinatal Mental Health. Two new mental health clinical programmes have been introduced - ADHD in Adults and Children, and Dual Diagnosis of those with Mental Illness and Substance Misuse.
Budget 2017 made allowance for an additional €35 million for services to be initiated in 2017. Key priorities to be addressed in the HSE's 2017 Service Plan include youth mental health, further improvement to child & adolescent (CAMHS) and adult services, older people's services and further enhanced out of hours response for those in need of urgent services. Recognising the time lag in new staff taking up posts and the completion of preparations for the introduction of these services, it is estimated that the revenue spend in 2017 associated with this increased allocation will be some €15 million. There will also be a further additional spend of €9.5 million in mental health associated with increased pay rates. This additional €24.7 million for 2017 will see the Mental Health Budget increase to €851 million. With other minor adjustments, the National Service Plan Budget for Mental Health for 2017 totals €853.1m.
The Department has also given the go-ahead to the HSE for the construction of a new National Forensic Hospital at Portrane. This major health infrastructure project will benefit from significant capital investment in 2017 with spending on the new hospital and other, more minor, mental health projects planned to exceed €50 million next year.
In addition to the substantial ongoing financial commitment to service development, the Department recently commissioned an evidence-based expert review which will focus on the progress made to date in the implementation of A Vision For Change, including a review of current delivery of services in Ireland. The review will also take account of international best practice and will inform the next steps in the development of our mental health policy, having regard to both human rights and health and wellbeing objectives. The review will provide a solid evidence base to determine the policy direction for a revision of A Vision for Change, provide a basis for further service development in this area, and shape our future mental health policy.
