I propose to take Questions Nos. 1003 and 1043 together.
Funding from the €35 million special provision for mental health in 2012 was allocated for measures primarily to further strengthen Community Mental Health Teams in both adult and children’s mental health services, to advance activities in the area of suicide prevention, to initiate the provision of psychological and counselling services in primary care, specifically for people with mental health problems and 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.
414 posts were approved to implement the €35m package of special measures. Up to end 2012, 135 posts were filled (contracts signed, of which 62 had commenced work), 208 posts had been accepted subject to process clearances (references, garda vetting etc) and the remainder were at various stages of selection. The majority of these posts will be filled by end March 2013. Full year costs for all these posts will be met from HSE 2013 base allocation.
The announcement in Budget 2013 of a further €35m for the continued development of our mental health services is additional to the €35m provided in Budget 2012. The HSE National Service Plan, which was recently approved by the Minister for Health, commits to the further development of suicide prevention initiatives, forensics and community mental health teams for adults, children, older persons and mental health intellectual disability and to the recruitment of over 470 additional staff to implement these measures. I have received assurances from the HSE that the recruitment process for the 2013 new posts, and any outstanding 2012 posts, will commence immediately.