Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Minister for Finance answered questions quite recently in the House about the Anglo Irish Bank tapes. He confirmed that tapes were held in other banks as well. They came to light following the warrant issued by the Garda, and the tapes in question were sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions for the preparation of books of evidence. There are 120 written questions down today to the Minister for Finance about a range of issues, including some reference to those matters.

I have noted the conversation concerning the withdrawal of the Money Advice & Budgeting Service, MABS, but this is a pilot scheme the Government and the Central Bank want to see continue. It is short of the formal legal arrangement but it is one we think could add greatly to the opportunity for people to get out of their mortgage difficulties and relieve the pressure and stress they are under.

I understand an article in one of today's newspapers suggests that the recruitment of mental health posts in 2013 is at risk due to a HSE overspend this year. As the Deputy is aware, the programme for Government contains a commitment to ring-fence €35 million annually from the health budget to develop community mental health teams and services, as outlined in the document, Vision for Change. In that way, more appropriate services would be made available earlier for adults and children, and there would be far greater integration with primary care services. Part of that funding is to deal with the Reach Out programme, which is the national suicide prevention strategy, as referred to by Deputy Adams.

In 2012, a special allocation of €35 million was provided for mental health. That was used primarily to strengthen community mental health teams further, to advance activities in the area of suicide prevention, to initiate the provision of psychological and counselling services in primary care, and to facilitate the transfer of mental health service users from institutional to community-based care. A total of 414 posts were approved to implement the 2012 package of special measures. As of 30 June this year, 366 of the 414 posts have either been filled, are under offer or are awaiting clearance.

For 2013, a further €35 million has been approved and allocated, as per the commitment. A total 477 posts have been provided this year for the continued development of mental health services. As of 28 June 2013, 55 of those 477 posts have been accepted by candidates with clearances being processed. A further 147 posts have been offered to candidates to express an interest in accepting the positions.

The HSE is working hard ensure the remaining posts are filled as soon as possible from existing panels, or in the absence of panels, through competition at the earliest opportunity. In previous years, the HSE sought to wait until it had achieved other headcount reductions before proceeding with priority posts. This is one reason there were delays in 2012 in the commencement of recruitment for posts in line with Government priorities.

The HSE's director general designate has confirmed that this is not the case in 2013. He has assured the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, that it is his clear intention to deliver on these mental health posts as set out in the 2013 service plan. The Minister of State has received assurances from the HSE that the recruitment process for the new posts being funded in 2013 and any outstanding posts from the 414 which were approved in 2012, are receiving priority. That deals with the question of allocations.

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