Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Health the steps he has taken to date to improve mental health services for young persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40689/12]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The development of the child and adolescent mental health service, CAMHS, has been prioritised by the HSE in recent years and considerable progress has been made to date. A special allocation of €35 million was provided in budget 2012 for mental health in line with commitments in the programme for Government. Funding from this special allocation will be used primarily to strengthen community mental health teams in both adult and children’s mental health services by ensuring that each mental health professional discipline is represented on every team by at least one person.

Of the 414 posts approved to implement the €35 million package, 150 will be allocated to CAMHS teams. The national recruitment service of the HSE is currently working to recruit the necessary personnel and the posts are at various stages in the recruitment process. It is hoped the bulk of the appointments will be made by the end of the year. It is envisaged that the completion of the multidisciplinary profile of current teams will facilitate further progress in reducing the waiting lists for CAMHS services. It is worth noting that despite an increase in demand for such services, the number of children waiting for an appointment reduced by 12% in the 12 months to June 2012.

In terms of inpatient facilities, psychiatric bed capacity for children and adolescents has increased from 12 beds in 2007 to 44 at present, with 12 in Dublin, 12 in Cork and 20 in Galway. Work on the second phase of the child and adolescent unit at St. Vincent's Hospital, Fairview, has recently been completed. This will increase capacity in Dublin from 12 to 18 beds by the end of 2012. The increase in bed capacity in recent years is reflected in an almost 50% decrease in admissions of children to adult units since 2008.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

The Linn Dara child and adolescent mental health facility at Cherry Orchard, Dublin, has recently opened and a number of child and adolescent community mental health teams have moved into the new premises. It is expected that the day hospital will be in operation by the end of the year. It is also proposed to construct a 22-bed inpatient facility on the Cherry Orchard site and this is expected to be completed by the end of 2013 or early 2014. A ten-bed child and adolescent forensic mental health unit will be provided as part of the national forensic mental health project. The unit will be based in Portrane, coterminous with the new Central Mental Hospital, which is expected to be operational by 2016.

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Up to €24 million of the €35 million allocated was to be used for recruitment of psychologists, occupational therapists and social workers. Instead, that funding has been put towards the budget deficit. While the recruitment process is ongoing, those people already recruited will not take up their posts until December 2012 or early January 2013. In the meantime, there is a significant deficit of professionals dealing with CAMHS.

The coroner in south Kerry recently stated the area is facing epidemic numbers of suicides. The report on children who died in State care clearly stated that there was no coherent or integrated policy to deal with children and adolescents who were vulnerable. This is an urgent matter and it is not good enough for the Minister to claim he has ring-fenced €35 million when there has been a delay of a year in drawing it down. This will simply plug the hole in the budget deficit as opposed to funding services. Will the Minister agree this is a matter of urgency? Will he also agree that, in the meantime, very vulnerable people are put at further risk because of the lack of an integrated service and available professionals to give them support? On the day the House has passed the Bill dealing with the referendum on children’s rights, at the same time we are pulling resources from them.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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My colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Lynch, has been working hard on this issue and has done a tremendous amount of work. No one on the Government side underestimates the problem that is the tragedy of suicide. Sadly, it is something that affects a great many of us through friends or loved ones who may have taken their lives. It always leaves more questions than answers.

I believe we are going to strengthen our child and adolescent services in a major way. I accept that some of the posts have been slow to be filled but we are making progress. For example, the Linn Dara child and adolescent mental health facility in Cherry Orchard, Dublin has opened recently. Several child and adolescent community mental health teams have moved into the new premises. It is expected that the day hospital will be in operation by the end of the year. It is also proposed to construct a 22 bed inpatient facility on the Cherry Orchard site and this is expected to be completed by the end of 2013 or early 2014.

A ten bed child and adolescent forensic mental health unit will be provided as part of the national forensic mental health project. The unit will be based in Portrane, co-terminous with the new central mental hospital, which is expected to be operational by 2016.