Frances Black (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister and his colleagues for attending today. My question focuses on mental health in respect of the HSE national service plan, so it may be for the Minister for State, Deputy Butler. It pertains to transparency and accountability. I must say that I am very pleased to see the attention to detail and focus on the Sharing the Vision report. The report is groundbreaking and the focus is on closing the gaps and filling the multiple cracks that mental health services currently have. I am very pleased to see that it is the main point of reference for the 2021 national service plan, as well as for Connecting for Life, Ireland's national strategy to reduce suicide. It is most welcome.

One of the most fundamental parts of reforming the mental health services is taking on the critical task of driving transparency and accountability in the area of mental health investment and expenditure. In particular, we must examine how and where the funding is allocated and what outcomes are achieved from this investment. How should we do that going forward, as we implement these new commitments from the national service plan? In other words, how do we ensure that these commitments are more than just promising words in a report? Where will the extra €20 million go in mental health supports? How do we effectively show transparency when it comes to investment and expenditure going forward? There is a whole clatter of questions there and I hope the Minister of State was able to catch them all.