Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 April 2013
1285. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the amount of money that has been allocated to address mental health issues here; the areas that this money is being spent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17124/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe estimated budget for mental health in 2013 is €733 million for the provision of specialist mental health services which includes in-patient care as well as community mental health care and suicide prevention. This figure includes an additional €35 million, provided in Budget 2013 for the continued development of our mental health services.
About 1 in 4 people will experience some mental health problems in their lifetime. Approximately 90% of mental health problems are dealt with in primary care and some 30% of people who attend primary care have a mental health problem. Expenditure on these services is not captured in the mental health budget.
The HSE National Service Plan 2013 commits to a number of objectives including the further development of forensic services and community mental health teams for adults, children and older persons and for mental health intellectual disability, as well as the development of suicide prevention initiatives. 477 additional staff will be recruited to implement these measures.
In order to ensure that the additional resources will be used to best effect, the HSE, in consultation with the Department of Health, is working towards finalising the allocation of these resources. Business cases from each HSE Region are being finalised and examined, against each of the identified objectives, detailing how the funding is to be spent and the type and number of WTE to be recruited. It is expected that this process will be concluded in the very near future with a view to recruitment of the additional staff proceeding as soon as possible.
