Dr. Shari McDaid:

On the question of the cost of mental health versus the funds allocated, mental health costs the economy about 2.5% of GDP every year. The funds specifically allocated to mental health are approximately €700 million. A significant disparity exists. I refer to an initiative undertaken in the UK which we have not considered as yet in this country where it has been decided that mental health needs to be given parity of esteem with physical health in allocating the budget. That issue has not even been broached in this country but in the UK they have grasped the nettle and decided that the only way to address the decades of underspending on mental health is by having a concerted effort to have parity of esteem on spending.

Deputy Fitzpatrick asked whether the funding for suicide prevention is going to the right agencies. My reply to Deputy Mitchell O'Connor links in with that question in the sense that we need better co-ordination of the funding on suicide prevention and we need it to be going to evidence-based interventions on suicide prevention. We need to see that change coming out of the new suicide prevention framework.

Deputy McLellan asked about the strategy, A Vision for Change, and whether we are getting better, getting worse or standing still. I am very hesitant to call it in that way because we have a very disparate system where parts of the system are moving forward and parts of the system are falling backwards. Those parts of the system that are moving forward are still scattered and are still in some ways the exception rather than the rule. The number of services which provide home treatment are still in the minority. I refer to the number of services adopting a recovery orientated progressive approach and which are reaching out and pushing social inclusion for people with mental health difficulties, but these services are in the minority. While those services are to be commended on how they are driving things forward, it needs to be much more consistent throughout the country. We also need to remember that there are particular disadvantaged communities who have received very little attention to date in A Vision for Change. When I say disadvantaged I mean people with intellectual disability for whom the services have not been given attention since A Vision for Change was published in 2006. I am talking about people from ethnic minority groups and I include the Traveller community for whom the services recommended in A Vision for Change have not been given attention. I refer to people with eating disorders where the eating disorder service has not yet seen any significant developments since the publication of A Vision for Change. My overall assessment is that I commend those areas where it is doing better because in every place where it is doing better there are individuals who are getting a good quality service and it is making a real difference to their lives. I would not rest easy, however, until everyone in the country has that level of service.