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

I agree with the Deputy that progress has been slower than initially anticipated but it continues to be made in implementing the report's recommendations. As the Deputy rightly pointed out, the vision has not changed. While the review is under way, we are continuing to implement the report. In recent years, the Government has provided an additional €160 million in ring-fenced funding for mental health from 2012 to 2016. That has progressed the implementation to various degrees of the actual document. While the independent group to which the Deputy refers is currently not established, it is a question I have been raising and something I would like to consider once the review is finalised at the end of the year. We need to take that time. While it might seem like a long time, it is something I could come back to the Deputy on, depending on the recommendations. We need some form of oversight committee to put in place a timeline to ensure that we are progressing at adequate speed.

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