Dan Neville
Ceist:291 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Health and Children the percentage of the health budget for 2004 which is allocated to the psychiatric services. [10534/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 6 April 2004
Ceisteanna (200)
Freagraí scríofa
The Estimate for mental health expenditure in 2004 is €661.35 million, or 6.69% of the total health budget, according to the Revised Estimates for Public Services 2004.
In recent years, significant additional resources have been committed to developing comprehensive, community-based mental health services. This has resulted in a continuing decline in the number of in-patients from 5,192 in 1997 to 3,966 in 2002 with a corresponding increase in the provision of a range of care facilities based in the community to complement in-patient services. There are now 411 community psychiatric residences in the country providing 3,146 places compared to 391 residences providing 2,878 places in 1997.
Since 1997, approximately €90 million additional revenue funding has been invested in the mental health services. In the main, this funding is being used to provide additional medical and health professional staff for expanding community mental health services, increase child and adolescent services, expand the old age psychiatric services, provide liaison psychiatry services in general hospitals and enhance the support provided to voluntary agencies.