Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 June 2021
436. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the work his Department has undertaken to implement the youth mental health pathfinder project in terms of administrative, budgetary, governance and legal arrangements with the Department of Health to ensure a robust and workable model for the pathfinder unit is developed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30999/21]
View answerAs the Deputy would be aware, this policy matter and the implementation of the referenced project is, in the first instance, a matter for the Department of Health and accordingly that Department would be best positioned to provide you with an update on the status of the project.
I would note that the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is fully supportive of this whole-of-Government initiative in principle and has engaged extensively with the Department of Health on this matter. A number of governance and legal complexities and issues have been raised in relation to the proposal. These need to be worked through, in the first instance by the Department of Health and with the support of other Departments including the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, in the context of progressing the initiative in a collaborative and constructive manner. Our Department will continue to engage with the Department of Health in relation to these issues.
