James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge that the Minister of State might not have been involved in the writing of the programme for Government, but many interested parties, including mental health groups, were struck by the fact that there was no specific funding committed in the programme, as there was in the programme for 2011 to 2016. Perhaps that commitment was not always honoured but at least it could be specifically pointed to in the programme. In 2014, some €20 million was allocated instead of the €35 million that was then promised. This year, €12 million was siphoned off.

My predecessor, former Deputy Colm Keaveney, highlighted concerns about these cuts when the service plan was published in December. Unfortunately, his predictions at the time were borne out with the mental health budget being seen as a soft target. Although the new programme for Government specifically states the mental health budget will be increased annually, which must be acknowledged, can the Minister of State be more specific? How much will be provided in budget 2017 for mental health services?

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