Mental Health Commission

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 June 2023

Tuesday, 27 June 2023

Questions (705)

Neasa Hourigan

Question:

705. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 602 of 25 April 2023 and 617 of 9 May 2023, the reason the Mental Health Commission has declined a request from the Oireachtas Committee on Health to benchmark the provision of community residential mental health placements serving the combined East Cork HSE catchments of the Cobh/Glenville and Midleton/Youghal adult mental health teams in respect of A Vision for Change-recommended allocations; the reason, in particular, the Commission has refused to do so given that it reviewed such services nationally in 2019 and benchmarked those provisions against A Vision for Change and given that the Mental Health Commission has repeatedly made reference to A Vision for Change-recommended staffing allocations in its interim CAMHS report from January 2023 in the context of assessing current service provision; what barrier prevents specifically the Mental Health Commission from doing likewise with the East Cork mental health catchments of Midleton/Youghal and Cobh/Glenville given that the request made in respect of East Cork adult mental health services does not call on the Mental Health Commission to "set targets" in a statutory manner but to confirm from the standpoint of an independent oversight body recommended with actual service provisions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31038/23]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

It should be noted that the Mental Health Commission is an independent regulator established under the Mental Health Act 2001. The Commission has statutory responsibility for supporting and assisting in the development and improvement of mental health services. Department officials directed this query to the Mental Health Commission and the following is their response:

"The work of the Mental Health Commission (MHC) includes regulating inpatient mental health services, protecting the interests of people who are involuntarily admitted and setting standards for high quality and good practices across mental health services in Ireland. The MHC does not have a statutory remit to set targets or benchmark for service provision.

The Inspector of Mental Health Services has powers under the Mental Health Acts 2001–2018 to carry out reviews periodically and to report on various aspects of the care and treatment given to people in receipt of mental health services in the State. The Inspector’s report entitled ‘Rehabilitation and Recovery Mental Health Services in Ireland 2018/2019’ was one such report and reflected ‘point-in-time’ findings based on fieldwork conducted across 2018 and 2019. The Inspector’s interim report arising from an ‘Independent Review of the Provision of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in the State’, which was published in January 2023, again reflected ‘point-in-time’ findings based on fieldwork conducted across 2022, while the final version of this report – due to be published soon – will reflect fieldwork conducted across 2022 and 2023. This work supports the MHC’s ongoing statutory function to promote, encourage and foster high standards and good practices in the delivery of mental health services in Ireland."