Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)

I move amendment No. 1:

To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following:

"notes that:

— good mental health is an integral component of general health and well-being and recognises the importance for all citizens to achieve and maintain optimum mental health; and

— about one in four people will experience some mental health problems in their lifetime;

welcomes the:

— significant progress which has been achieved to date in the implementation of the 2006 strategy on mental health outlined in 'A Vision for Change' including, in particular, improved child and adolescent mental health services, fewer involuntary admissions and the involvement of service users in all aspects of mental health policy,service planning and delivery; and

— recent announcement on capital allocations for the health sector which includes the replacement of the Central Mental Hospital, the development of a 10-bed Intellectual Disability Forensic Mental Health Unit, a 10-bed Child and Adolescent Forensic Mental Health Unit as well as four regional Intensive Care Rehabilitation Units in line with the recommendations of 'A Vision for Change', to enable the delivery of a modern National Forensic Mental Health Service; and

acknowledges that:

— this Government has further prioritised the reform of the mental health service, in line with 'A Vision for Change', in the Programme for Government, which provides for the ring-fencing of €35 million annually from within the health budget to develop community mental health services and to ensure early access to more appropriate services for adults and children;

— the Health Service Executive (HSE) is currently working closely with the Department of Health to finalise a development plan to ensure mental health services are targeted where they are most needed with service user involvement in a system which will be heavily recovery focussed;

— the plan, when completed, will identify specific recommendations of 'A Vision for Change' that can be progressed over the next three years, with timelines, detailed costs, structures and identifiable person(s) responsible for driving the change and that issues related to staffing levels and the impact on this service of the moratorium on filling posts in the public sector will be examined in this context;

— the plan will include provision for clinical care programmes especially in the areas of complex psychological conditions such as eating disorders, common mental health problems and early intervention in psychosis;

— the HSE will continue in its Capital Plan for 2012 and future years to provide for the phased closure of older psychiatric hospitals and investment in more community based facilities;

— the Department of Health is already developing a proposal with the HSE and the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) for the commencement of the provisions of the Health Act 2007 in relation to the regulation, registration and inspection by HIQA of residential services for people with disabilities; and

— the Department of Health has commenced the promised review of the Mental Health

Act 2001 which is planned to be completed by June 2012."

I wish to share time.

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