Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his questions. He is right that the programme for Government includes a commitment to examine the reappointment of a national director for mental health in the HSE. I will be engaging with the HSE on that in the next couple of weeks. I am very supportive of it. We spoke about the new Sharing the Vision policy. The national implementation and monitoring committee is in place and one of the key issues we will be looking at very shortly is a review of bed capacity throughout the whole country to see what the situation is.

As the Deputy knows, the Mental Health Commission has oversight in regard to our mental health facilities. I met with the HSE yesterday to discuss our budget proposals, where we will be spending the money this year and making sure it is spent in parallel and in tandem with ongoing Covid efforts. There was €6 million allocated for the upgrading and refurbishment of a number of mental health facilities that were identified by the Mental Health Commission. I take on board the points the Deputy made in regard to mental health facilities throughout the country. I am delighted that the national implementation and monitoring committee is in place under the chairmanship of Mr. John Saunders. We have much work to do and a lot of issues to look at. The steering committees and sub-committees that will be put in place will hold the Department, the HSE, the Minister for Health and me to account. The issues the Deputy has raised are all issues that are to the forefront of my mind at this time. We will be looking at all of them. I thank the Deputy for his constructive approach.

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