Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I refer to question No. 25. It stated that a realistic budget for 2013 was based on the level of activity in 2012. Was this based on the level of activity in 2012 that saw accident and emergency services and medical discharges increase by 7%? If so, why was the budget then reduced by €1.5 million? In the reply to the question, the HSE was unable to indicate what would be Mullingar hospital's future role in the context of the hospital groupings. This leads me to ask when the answers to these questions were drawn up, because that information was published last week. I note the aforementioned hospital will be in a grouping with Navan hospital and that the removal of 24-hour accident and emergency services from the latter will result in an increase in patient activity in Mullingar hospital. Will this increase be matched with additional funding? As the Minister's mantra is the money will always follow the patient, given that activity in Mullingar hospital has increased, I would like to think that financial support also will increase there. The Minister might answer me in this regard.

As for the mental health budget, the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, will be aware that I raised this issue on four separate occasions last year through Topical Issue debates. While everyone agrees the service must be delivered where it is needed, one should be honest: the €35 million was not spent last year because it was eaten up in the big black hole in the HSE's budget. It is now halfway through 2013 and the 2012 targets still have not been met. When will the 2012 targets be met fully? When will the roll-out of the 2013 targets begin? Will the €35 million that has been ring-fenced for 2013 be spent this year? Given the rates of suicide and deliberate self-harm, it is imperative that this receives priority.

On the transfer of staff from the HSE to the new child and family support agency-----