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

I thank the Deputy for his question. I am pleased to confirm that the allocation for new developments within mental health services will be even greater than the significant resources made available in recent years. This arises as a result of a combination of increased revenue funding and a major capital allocation which has been secured for mental health services.

In line with my commitment to achieve a full-year allocation of €35 million in additional funding for mental health, I am initiating €35 million in new services for 2017. Key mental health priorities to be addressed in the Health Service Executive, HSE, 2017 service plan include youth mental health, including the improvement of child and adolescent mental health services; improvement in adult services and those relating to older people, improvement in services for those with eating disorders, and the enhancement of out of hours response for those in urgent need of services. As has been widely acknowledged, and as I acknowledged last week, recognising the time lag in new staff taking up posts and the completion of other preparations for the introduction of these services it is estimated that the revenue spend in the calendar year 2017 associated with this increased allocation will be some €15 million. However, €35 million in service developments will be initiated in the course of the coming year. I look forward to briefing the Deputy on these developments once the details have been finalised and the national service plan approved. In addition, there will be further increases in mental health current spending associated with increased pay rates, and this will be subject to separate funding of approximately €9.7 million.

A priority for me for 2017 was to secure additional capital spending for mental health. This was urgently required to allow the construction contract for the National Forensic Mental Health Campus at Portrane to be awarded. This project has been subject to a significant increase in costs arising from price inflation in the construction sector, some additions to the project, and the need to spend additional money in meeting planning conditions. Completion of the tender process meant funding of these increasing costs needed to be secured before the contract for the project could be awarded, and I am delighted that I obtained the support of my Government colleagues to proceed with this landmark project. It is estimated that approximately €50 million in capital funding will be spent on the project next year, with further spending in completing the project from 2018 onwards.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

The Central Mental Hospital was established in 1850. The project to develop a new service to replace the hospital was first initiated in 2000. In 2009, the Portrane site was selected. The award of the construction contract, which my Department has approved, means there will be no further delay in the long overdue replacement of the Central Mental Hospital with a modern, purpose-built facility at Portrane.

With regard to the continuing implementation of A Vision for Change, the Department of Health is currently leading the review of this policy with a view to the development of a successor document which will complete the process of modernising mental health services and effectively promoting mental health. I envisage this successor policy including detailed implementation arrangements, underpinned by a multi-annual investment plan, will inform the allocation of resources in future years.

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