Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

Although the final number of nurses availing of the scheme in the area of mental health and psychiatric care is not yet available, 436 mental health staff have indicated their intention to leave our mental health services by the end of February 2012. The HSE's service plan includes a commitment to reduce acute inpatient capacity by a minimum of 153 beds nationally in 2012, in line with the recommendations of A Vision for Change. The Minister for Health, my colleague Deputy O'Reilly, and my colleague Deputy Lynch, who is the Minister of State dealing with this area, have been particularly commended by all of the organisations interested in this vital area of health for what is contained in terms of change, reform and progress in A Vision for Change. The document, as I am sure Deputy Ó Caoláin knows, includes a commitment to allocate €35 million for mental health in budget 2012, in line with the programme for Government. Within that, there is a commitment to involve an additional 400 people in mental health services.

I can understand that the loss or early retirement of 436 colleagues is a serious matter for the members of the PNA and their patients. However, A Vision for Change takes account of this. As I said to Deputy McGrath, we must bear in mind that the people who are availing of the end of February deal are by and large those who are close to retirement and are leaving somewhat earlier to avail of the existing pension package, which will fall dramatically after the end of February. In A Vision for Change, we are looking at transformation of mental health services. At a time of tight budgets, we are specifically providing a commitment of €35 million in budget 2012 for mental health services. There was recently a good debate in the Seanad with the Minister of State, Deputy Lynch, in which there was widespread agreement among all political parties and Independents that A Vision for Change was the route to take for positive development of mental health care.

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