Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 May 2023
607. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the funding allocated to an organisation (details supplied) in each of the years 2017 to 2022 and to date in 2023; if funding for 2023 has been reduced; if so, the rationale for this; how this will affect the low-cost mental health counselling provided by the service; the alternative funding options available to the organisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22415/23]
View answerMore than €80m a year is provided to Section 38 and Section 39 agencies to provide mental health services on behalf of the HSE.
MyMind provides a range of counselling and psychotherapy services online, and face-to-face across the country. Services are available for children, adolescents, adults, couples and families in a wide variety of different languages.
In response to psychosocial demand in 2022 the Department of Health provided €1m in funding, from an additional €10m once-off funding secured by Minister Butler, for MyMind to provide targeted supports to priority groups. This included those from Ukraine and those impacted by Mica/Pyrite. This funding provided more than 16,000 appointments between 2022 and March 2023.
Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with Section 39 agencies, such as MyMind, are negotiated each year by the HSE. All such funding is provided for specific purposes which are agreed annually. The process of negotiating and agreeing SLAs with an organisation includes an ongoing and regular assessment of service activity levels against agreed schedules, and developing an understanding of associated costs, be they anticipated, or unanticipated, is a matter for the HSE.
Other factors considered during this process include research and evidence of need, quality and safety, insurance, spending, performance monitoring, staffing and change control.
With regard to the remaining points of this question, the HSE are better placed to advise and I am referring it to them for direct reply.
