Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 May 2012
650 Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health if he will report on the Vision for Change policy; if he will indicate how much of the programme has been implemented so far and how much is still to be implemented; the amount that has been spent on the Vision for Change since it began and the estimated total funding of the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21841/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra652 Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health the way the ring-fenced €35 million for mental health services under budget 2012 will be spent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21843/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 650 and 652 together.
Although implementation of A Vision for Change has been slower than expected, significant progress has been achieved in the mental health services including shorter episodes of in-patient care, fewer involuntary admissions and the involvement of service users in all aspects of mental health policy, service planning and delivery. There are now 61 Child and Adolescent and 124 Adult Mental Health Teams working throughout the country. Progress has been made in closing the old traditional psychiatric hospitals and providing appropriate alternative community based facilities.
Developments on the Capital Programme are continuing with new Acute Units, Community Mental Health Centres, Residential Facilities, Day Hospitals and Day Centres being developed around the country. Mental Health projects being progressed include: a 54-bedded long stay facility as part of the Grangegorman Redevelopment Project, an acute in-patient psychiatric unit at Beaumont Hospital to replace the unit at St. Ita's, Portrane, residential units in Clonmel and Wexford etc. In relation to Child and Adolescent mental health services, two 20-bed in-patient units have been developed in Cork and Galway. Work is continuing on the development of the second phase of the Child and Adolescent Unit at St. Vincent's Hospital, Fairview which will increase capacity from 6 to 12 beds and the development of an 8 bedded interim facility at St Loman's, Palmerstown. The Linn Dara Child and Adolescent Mental Health Day Facility at Cherry Orchard, Dublin has also been completed and will open shortly.
At the time of publication of A Vision for Change in 2006, the estimated cost of the implementation of the 7-10 year development programme was €150 million. Up to the end of 2011, additional development funding of €54m had been allocated to the mental health services for this purpose. A special allocation of €35m for mental health was announced in Budget 2012 in line with the Programme for Government commitments. Funding from this special allocation will be used primarily to strengthen Community Mental Health Teams in both Adult and Children’s mental health services which will ensure, at a minimum, that at least one of each mental health professional discipline is represented on every team.
It is intended that the additional resources will be rolled out in conjunction with a scheme of appropriate clinical care programmes based on an early intervention and recovery approach. Some of the funding will also be used to advance activities in the area of suicide prevention and response to self-harm presentations and to initiate the provision of psychological and counselling services in primary care, specifically for people with mental health problems. Some provision will also be made to facilitate the re-location of mental health service users from institutional care to more independent living arrangements in their communities, in line with A Vision for Change. Over 400 additional staff will be recruited to support these initiatives.
653 Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health if he will ask the Health Service Executive to undertake an audit of all staff and resources that provide mental health services throughout the country to enhance the transparency of service provision here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21844/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn the context of developing policy on implementation of A Vision for Change and the planning for the restructuring and reorganisation of the HSE to provide a new system of governance which will involve seven Directorates, including a separate Directorate for Mental Health, it is not intended at this time to ask the HSE to undertake another audit in relation to mental health staffing or resources.
