Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

On behalf of the Government, I thank all Members for their participation in this debate. I welcome the many constructive contributions which have been made on this topic. Mental health, just like physical health, is relevant to each and every person in our society. It is heartening to see that, regardless of party affiliation, the question of how to best support our citizens’ mental health is at the forefront of all of our agendas. Importantly, this debate has facilitated a range of voices and opinions to be heard.

These debates are key to ensuring we move forward together, and will help us to collectively plan for the needs of our society in this area. In the past decade or so, we have witnessed a crucial shift in the landscape of our mental health services. We have moved from an institutional to a community-based model of care. We have opened up the dialogue on mental health, helping to remove the stigma once attached to it. We have developed a system which focuses not just on cure and treatment but on early detection and prevention. It is true we need to align our services. What is available in one county should be available in another.

I acknowledge the groundwork undertaken by my predecessors in the Department, especially the allocation of €115 million in additional funding in the Health Service Executive’s national service plans from 2012 to 2016. Funding in 2016 will increase from the 2015 amount of €785 million to a projected budget of €826 million, an increase of €41 million or 5.2% which includes the €35 million ring-fenced for mental health. There has been more investment in mental health services in the past five years than in the previous ten. I accept, however, plenty more has to be done.

In line with what was set out in A Vision for Change, which continues to be implemented - although a review process is under way - mental health is increasingly being recognised as something that must be fostered in good times, as well as supported in times of distress. Biological, psychological and social factors are now seen as key elements which need to be approached in an integrated manner if we are to address mental health effectively. This person-centred approach must remain at the core of our modern mental health services. Early intervention and education are essential if we are truly serious about this cultural shift.

As outlined in the programme for a partnership Government, there is a clear consensus that the education system at primary and secondary level in particular is the key to greater awareness, to cultural change, to prevention and to early intervention for the next generation. Measures such as the recently convened youth mental health task force show the Government is focused on improving our nation's mental health and not just in the immediate term. This Administration is investing in prevention that will bring in real and positive changes for the future. As already stated, it is evident this same passion for shaping the supporting structure of mental health services is shared by many in this room.

We will continue to progress the real changes needed in our mental health services in line with our programme for a partnership Government commitments. The Government is committed to the implementation of the national suicide reduction strategy, Connecting for Life, a national strategy for the whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to work on together. This can be seen in the key co-operation across the Departments of Health, Children and Youth Affairs, Education and Skills, in the Pathfinder programme, as well as the key co-ordination of actions across HSE directorates. The Government will continue to develop all aspects of our mental health services, including infrastructure to benefit the physical environment for both users and staff. A key element is progressing the new 120-bed forensic mental health hospital at Portrane, County Dublin, to replace the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum. I expect construction will start later this year, depending on overall resource availability, and to have the new forensic hospital operational in 2019.

It is hoped in time to deliver new intensive care rehabilitation units in Portrane, Cork and Galway. We intend to increase the number of staff members available to people seeking treatment. Those students who are graduating are staying and we need to attract more home. It is about letting people know that it is okay to feel bad, that life is full of challenges that sometimes may be insurmountable but, most important, that it is okay to ask a loved one or mental health professional to help them in the same way as if they had a physical injury.

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