Minister for Health & Minister of State due before Committee on Mental Health Care

Minister for Health, Simon Harris TD, will engage with the Committee on progress made to date, as will Minister of State, Jim Daly TD.

Committee Chair, Senator Joan Freeman, said, “The Committee published its Second Interim Report in April, which made recommendations on structuring mental health services, recruiting and retaining personnel, implementing ‘A Vision for Change’ and increasing access to services. At our meeting tomorrow, the Committee will question the Minister and Minister for State on progress or lack of progress made to date on a number of promised initiatives.”

“The HSE have commenced a Service Improvement Initiative on Talking Therapies which will examine the access to Talking Therapies where clinically indicated. Committee Members will wish to know when this this Initiative expected to report and we will be seeking a summary of the Initiative’s work to date. We will be seeking answers on a wide-ranging list of topics, including the development of an efficient IT infrastructure and crucially, on the progress on the recruitment process. The Committee will also raise the issue of when the dual diagnosis model of care can be expected to be in place and operating. As Chair of the Joint Committee, I am dissatisfied with the level of progress made to date by the Department and along with my colleagues, I will be seeking answers on these and a variety of other topics.”

The Committee will also question the Minister and Minister of State on the suspension of the day programme at the Linn Dara facility in Dublin.

Committee proceedings can be viewed live here