Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 May 2017
436. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the additional positions which will be required in 2018 over and above those already required under A Vision for Change (details supplied); and the additional staff required for every 5,000 increase in the population aged over 65 years of age. [23105/17]
View answer'A Vision For Change', our national Mental Health Policy, was introduced in 2006. Among its recommendations was that approximately 10,650 Mental Health Whole Time Equivalents were required to fully implement the policy.
This figure was based on Ireland’s then population of 3.917 million, as indicated in the 2002 census. The population of Ireland today, based on the most recent confirmed Census figures in 2011, is 4.499 million. Taking into account this demographic change, the required number of Mental Health Whole Time Equivalents is now 12,240. As of November 2016, there were 9,576 Mental Health Whole Time Equivalents employed, a gap of 2,664, equalling 78% compliance.
Since 2012, an additional €140 million has been allocated to Mental Health Services. This has facilitated the recruitment of over 1,150 new posts over the period 2012-16 to implement 'A Vision For Change' .
In relation to Psychiatry of Old Age, staffing has increased in this area in recent years, with 29 teams of Psychiatry of Old Age in place in 2017 compared to 26 teams in 2015. This is at 74% compliance with 'A Vision For Change' figures, which recommended 39 teams nationally. The expected increase in the population aged over 65 years and 85 years and over and the associated significant implications for the Psychiatry of Old Age services has been identified as a significant issue in the HSE National Service Plan 2017. This action is clarified within this plan under the mental health strategic priority 3: to deliver timely, clinically effective and standardised safe mental health services in adherence to statutory requirements. This commits the HSE to further enhancing the community mental health team capacity for Psychiatry of Old Age at a consistent level across all areas within available resources.
'A Vision For Change' suggests one Psychiatry of Old Age team per 100,000 population. CSO projections for 2021 predict a population figure of between 4.8 million and 5 million. This would correlate to between 48 and 50 Psychiatry of Old Age teams.
