Jimmy Devins (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fianna Fail)

The establishment of the office for disability and mental health was announced by the Taoiseach on Wednesday, 30 January 2008. The office will support me as the Minister of State for disability and mental health at the Department of Health and Children in exercising my responsibilities in four Government Departments, namely, the Departments of Health and Children, Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Education and Science and Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

The office will focus on supporting the implementation of the health sectoral plan under the Disability Act and will facilitate the delivery of integrated health and education support services for children with special needs. The office will also support the development of training and employment support services for people with a disability. On mental health, the new office will have responsibility for driving implementation of the recommendations of A Vision for Change and the recommendations of Reach Out: National Strategy for Action on Suicide Prevention. It will also develop closer co-operation between the health and justice sectors on cross-cutting issues relating, for example, to the provisions of the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act and the Central Mental Hospital.

See this speech in context