Tuesday, 27 Feb 2024

Legislative Measures

Questions (513)

Thomas Pringle

Question:

513. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health when the promised mental health Bill will be brought forward for debate on Second Stage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8848/24]

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Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

The Mental Health Bill is being drafted generally in line with the published General Scheme of a Bill to amend the Mental Health Act 2001, and will replace the existing 2001 Act as the Act underpinning our mental health legislation.

It is a large Bill encompassing many separate, complex areas such as involuntary admission and detention, regulation of mental health services, establishment and governance of the Mental Health Commission, capacity and consent to treatment, and provisions related to children and young people in mental health services. It is expected that the Bill will have in excess of 130 sections.

Considering the length of the Bill and complexity of the issues contained therein, it has taken time for officials in my Department and officials working in the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of Parliamentary Counsel (OPC) to prepare the legislation. Considerable resources have been allocated to drafting the Bill, with full time resources in the Department and four OPC drafters responsible for progressing the draft.

I am happy to say that the Bill is now in the final months of drafting. My officials will continue to work intensively to finalise the Bill and ready it for publication. The Bill is on the priority for drafting list for the current legislative session, as it was for all three sessions in 2023. It is my firm intention that the Bill will be published in the summer legislative session and I will seek its introduction to the Oireachtas as soon as possible following publication.

Legislative Measures

Questions (514)

Thomas Pringle

Question:

514. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health if the promised mental health Bill will address the registration or regulation of community mental health services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8849/24]

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Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health (Deputy Mary Butler)

The Mental Health Bill is being drafted generally in line with the published General Scheme of a Bill to amend the Mental Health Act 2001, and will replace the existing 2001 Act as the Act underpinning our mental health legislation.

One of the key provisions of the published General Scheme, which will be reflected in the Bill itself, is the expansion of the Mental Health Commission's powers to register, inspect, and regulate all mental health services in the community, including both residential and non-residential mental health services. This is in addition to inpatient services, all of which are already regulated by the Commission.

I am pleased to say that the Bill is now in the final months of drafting. My officials will continue to work intensively to finalise the Bill and ready it for publication. The Bill is on the priority for drafting list for the current legislative session, as it was for all three sessions in 2023. It is my firm intention that the Bill will be published in the summer legislative session and I will seek its introduction to the Oireachtas as soon as possible following publication.

Legislative Measures

Questions (515)

Thomas Pringle

Question:

515. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health if the promised mental health Bill will implement the recommendations contained in the independent review of the provision of child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, in the State by the Inspector of Mental Health Services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8850/24]

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Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health (Deputy Mary Butler)

Of the 49 recommendations made by the Mental Health Commission in their CAMHS report, the HSE have reported that approximately 40 are in progress. A number of these recommendations also relate to new service developments which are dependent on further investment.

Responsibility for 4 recommendations (Recs. 1, 2, 14 and 19) lie with the Department of Health. Of these four, recommendation one relates to the Mental Health Bill and pertains to the question raised by the Deputy.

Recommendation one of the Mental Health Commission report on CAMHS relates to the immediate and independent regulation of CAMHS by the Mental Health Commission. I can assure you that the Department and I have reviewed the 49 recommendations and in collaboration with the HSE and the Mental Health Commission will continue to monitor progress.

I fully support the regulation of all mental health services, including community CAMHS, and I am actively progressing legislation to underpin this regulation.

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring all mental health services, both inpatient and community, and both adult and child and adolescent, are fully registered, regulated, and inspected by the Mental Health Commission in its role as the independent regulator of mental health services.

Under the Mental Health Act 2001, the Mental Health Commission registers, inspects, and regulates all inpatient mental health services, including inpatient CAMHS. The Mental Health Act 2001 does not include any provisions for the registration or regulation of community mental health services and therefore, it is not considered that the Act provides the necessary legal basis to expand the Commission’s regulatory remit.

The expansion of the Mental Health Commission’s role into regulating all community mental health services, including community CAMHS, is being addressed in the forthcoming Mental Health Bill. The new Bill is a complex and lengthy piece of legislation. It will provide the necessary legal underpinning to ensure that the Commission can regulate all community services. Additionally, the Bill will overhaul the involuntary admission and detention process, modernise provisions related to consent to treatment, provide enhanced safeguards for people accessing inpatient treatment, and provide a new, discrete Part that relates exclusively to the care and treatment of children and young people.

The Bill is now in its final month of drafting and I will introduce it to the Oireachtas in the summer legislative session, which begins in April.

Work also continues to improve CAMHS at service-level. Year-on-year funding for mental health services increased by €74 million from €1.221 billion in Budget 2023 to nearly €1.3 billion in 2024, and with a strong focus on investing in child and youth mental health. This is the fourth consecutive year that an increase has been provided to support mental health services, and highlights in real terms the importance this Government places on the mental health of those living in Ireland.

CAMHS receives €146.5 million in dedicated funding annually. In addition to this, approximately €110 million in funding is provided by the Government to NGOs and community-based mental health organisations this year to deliver supports and services. A significant proportion of this is dedicated to supporting young people. A few weeks ago, I announced a further €10 million in funding for mental health to support the delivery of clinical programmes and youth mental health, again highlighting the Government’s recognition of mental health as a central component to overall health.

For the first time in the history of the State we now have a dedicated National Office for Child and Youth Mental Health in the HSE. This is a very significant development which I delivered and it will improve leadership, operational oversight, and management of all service delivery and improvements. Both a new HSE National Clinical Lead for Child and Youth Mental Health and a new Assistant National Director for Child and Youth Mental Health have recently taken up post.

There continues to be growing demand for CAMHS across the country with over 22,000 referrals last year. Between 2020 and 2021, referral rates into CAMHS increased by 33%, while the number of new cases seen increased by 21%.

It is a priority for the Government and for the HSE to improve access to CAMHS and to address CAMHS waiting lists. The new dedicated National Office for Child and Youth Mental Health in the HSE will continue to improve leadership, operational oversight, and management of all service delivery and improvements. This includes taking account of the recent Maskey and Mental Health Commission reports on CAMHS. The National Office is currently finalising the Youth Mental Health Service Improvement Plan which will set out agreed actions for focused service improvement through identified, timely, and measurable actions.

Staffing in community CAMHS has increased in recent years by 500 full time equivalent posts between 2011 and 2024. I secured new development funding for new posts under Budget 2024, with a focus on child and youth mental health posts. There are now 75 CAMHS teams and 4 in-patient units nationally.

Both I and the Government remain committed to the development of all aspects of mental health services nationally.

Health Services

Ambulance Service

Questions (519)

Paul Donnelly

Question:

519. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the number of hazardous emergency response vehicles in the national ambulance service fleet in each of the years 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form. [8861/24]

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Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Hospital Services

Questions (520)

Paul Donnelly

Question:

520. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who attended each outpatients clinic at CHI Temple Street in 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form. [8862/24]

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Awaiting reply from Department.

Dental Services

Questions (521)

Michael Healy-Rae

Question:

Colm Burke

Question:

526. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will take the necessary steps to extend the temporary scheme of paid leave for public health service employees unfit for work post Covid infection as a matter of urgency in view of the fact the scheme is due to end on 31 March 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8920/24]

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Duncan Smith

Question:

532. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE theatre nurses working in CHI Temple Street in 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024; and if this number will be further increased. [8958/24]

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Awaiting reply from Department.