Alex White (Dublin South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to conclude this debate on behalf of the Government side concerning the important issue of how best to progress mental health policy and services into the future. I and the other Government representatives have listened carefully and seriously to the constructive contributions made in this debate. I welcome the obvious commitment of contributing Deputies of all political parties to developing mental health policy and service. In that spirit, it is right that the House should not divide on this issue.

As the Minister, Deputy Reilly, indicated yesterday, a fundamental requirement that applies is the need to change attitudes to and reduce the historic stigma associated with mental health issues. The debate has focused on the progress made on mental health in recent times and the continuing clear need to develop many aspects of mental health and suicide prevention services. In not opposing the motion on this occasion, the Government recognises a common desire to build on what we have achieved and to pursue the same overall objectives.

This Government has taken real action in terms of hard decisions and prioritised investment to develop mental health policies and services. It should be remembered that by common consent, the service had significant historic deficits and these have only begun to be addressed in a meaningful way in the past decade or so. We have provided €90 million and approximately 1,100 new posts since 2012, resulting a total provision of approximately €765 million this year for the HSE and, more important, we are ensuring the new investment and the new personnel are targeted towards what is actually needed to effect real change in the system.

I would like to address briefly some of the issues raised during the debate. I, too, acknowledge the tremendous work being carried out by the many voluntary and statutory agencies working in the mental health area with those experiencing a personal crisis. In these difficult economic times, with increasing demands and resource limitations, it is important we work together in an effort tackle this serious issue and create an environment that is enabling for people in distress. The Government recognises that this cannot be done in isolation. Managers, professionals, service users and carers must all work together, utilising resources and actively involving people in their own recovery. Notwithstanding the fact we must take cognisance of overall and evolving resource pressures each year, the Government will continue to develop our mental health service in line with A Vision for Change and the programme for Government.

With the benefit since 2012 of new investment coming through, we will continue to reduce the incidence of children and adolescents being accommodated in adult facilities. That point is well taken and was repeated in this debate.

As reflected also in the debate, reforming mental health services requires a multi-agency and multifaceted approach. The Department of Health and the HSE will continue to work with other organisations in addressing the needs of vulnerable groups and tackling issues such as cyberbullying, negative Internet messages and eating disorders in addition to having better diversion mechanisms between the judicial and health systems.

A strong thread coming through the debate was the need to balance change, in particular in the context of safety and quality, against genuine concerns that may exist at local level. Such is the case, for example, with the changes that have occurred or are planned for mental health services in the Carlow-Kilkenny and south Tipperary areas or in HSE west. The HSE has engaged, as appropriate, to address all genuine concerns while taking account of recommendations arising out of reviews of mental health services at local level. We will continue with this approach so that all involved have an appropriate and meaningful say in modernising services. Change can only work through a responsible and co-operative approach by all concerned. I reassure the House that we will continue to improve our policies and services relating to suicide prevention, primarily through a new strategic framework over 2015 to 2018 to replace and build upon the Reach Out strategy.

Again I thank Deputies, in particular Deputy Ó Caoláin and his colleagues, for providing the House with this opportunity to discuss a matter of concern to all, whether inside or outside this House. As stated repeatedly in the debate, there is hardly a family in Ireland not affected in some way by mental health issues and, indeed, some Deputies spoke in a very effecting way in respect of how they are affected by such issues. There is no reason people in this country suffering from mental health problems cannot have the same modern high-quality service that works so well elsewhere. We will continue to work with these aims in mind and will continue to co-operate with colleagues across the House to achieve these objectives.

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