Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 July 2017
375. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health the estimated full-year cost of completing the recruitment required for the full implementation of A Vision for Change; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31064/17]
View answerA Vision For Change, our national Mental Health Policy, was introduced in 2006. Among its recommendations were 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 2016, is 4.7 million. Taking into account this demographic change, the required number of Mental Health Whole Time Equivalents is now 12,760.
According to the HSE, as of April 2017, there are 9,815 Mental Health Whole Time Equivalents. In addition, there are 300 being recruited and over 700 posts in development from Programme For Government funding. This brings the total to 10,815, a gap of 1,945. Using an average figure of €66,000 per Whole Time Equivalent, the additional funding required to fill the gap is €128 million.
Since 2012, €140 million in additional funding has been allocated to the Mental Health services. This has increased the total Mental Health Budget from €711 million in 2012 to over €850 million today.
