Ms Orla Barry:

I thank the Vice Chairman and the other members for inviting Mental Health Reform to make a presentation to the committee. Mental Health Reform is a national coalition of 37 organisations that are advocating for improved mental health services. The committee has received our pre-budget submission. I would like to address three key issues in my opening statement: the need for the Government to honour in full the mental health funding commitments it made in the programme for Government; the current shortfalls in staffing in mental health services; and the importance of supporting people in staying well in their communities.

The programme for Government included a welcome commitment to ring-fence €35 million for community mental health services in each of 2012, 2013 and 2014. We are concerned that the €35 million allocated for 2013 will be delayed. Our concern is based on the delay in the recruitment of staff in 2012. The real level of expenditure at the end of 2012 was €682 million, or €4 million less than the previous year. Just 58 of the 414 staff were in place at the end of 2012. We are continuing to monitor the appointment of the promised 414 staff for 2012 and the promised 477 staff for 2013.

Analysis of up to date HSE figures shows that between January and July 2013 the net increase in staff within mental health services was just 192. This is the case, despite reports that two thirds of the 891 posts have been filled. We are very concerned that the HSE is seeking an overall reduction of 2,400 wholetime equivalents in 2013 and that the moratorium on staff recruitment is not protecting posts committed to under the programme for government. Mental health staffing at July 2013 was 1,088 posts less than in March 2009.

There are three recommendations targeted at supporting people to recover their well-being and live a full life in their community. Keeping people out of hospital is a priority for cost effectiveness and quality of life. First, Supported Employment asks us to extend supported employment to people who desire to work, regardless of work readiness and for a removal of a time limit on support. With regard to housing, we ask for the provision of a dedicated funding stream for tenancy sustainment support for people with a mental health difficulty. There is a gap in this regard in the national housing strategy for people with a disability. Third, we call for no further cuts to rent supplement and no increase in rent contribution to be made as it is important to help people with a mental health difficulty to maintain their tenancies.