Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

A Vision for Change has guided national mental health policy over the past ten years and, as the Deputy rightly said, its term has come to an end. The Department published a request for tender last month to invite parties interested in undertaking a review of A Vision for Change to express an interest in doing so. The Department's requirements are for experts to review and analyse national and international evidence and best practice in the development and delivery of mental health services. The review should also identify sites of best practice, outlining reasoning and identify how these models can apply to the Irish context. The review is also expected to assess the current delivery of mental health services in Ireland having regard to international evidence and the implementation of A Vision for Change.

It is envisaged that the review will be completed later this year. The review will provide evidence to determine the policy direction for a revision of A Vision for Change and it will have regard to both human rights and health and well-being objectives. As I said in a response to Deputy Wallace earlier, we need to move away from specifically focusing on mental illness. When the review is completed, the Department will examine the output and will then decide on the need for a monitoring group to oversee any required policy changes.

The contract will be awarded on the basis of the most economically advantageous tender. It will be split into two sections, 50% of it will be based on cost, a further 30% will be based on the quality of proposed methodology and 20% will be based on demonstrated ability by way of previous experience on the part of the tenderer to carry out the work. I hope that the review will be finalised at the end of the year. The next step will be to see whether we need an oversight group to implement the changes that will have been recommended.

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