Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising important mental health matters. I particularly thank him for acknowledging that when we rightly talk about mental health the impact of this pandemic on people across the age spectrum, including older people, is, indeed, a major priority.

I would like the new Government to publish within its first month in office the A Vision for Changeroadmap. I would like the House to convene whatever is the appropriate mechanism to make sure that we get on with implementing that document. That is a key step. I met Mental Health Reform, the organisation the Deputy referenced. It was their priority that we would see the A Vision for Changeroadmap published and the structures we put in place in this House would arise from that. Truthfully, I do not have an answer in terms of how many volunteers and I suggest that I will correspond with the Deputy on that.

Regarding child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, 90% of mental health needs are being successfully treated in the primary care setting with less than 10% referred to our specialist mental health services. We have thankfully seen a reduction in the mental health waiting list for CAMHS but in the interest of time, I will send the Deputy a full breakdown on all the information I have.

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