Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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A Vision for Change, published in 2006, set out a ten-year policy framework for Ireland's mental health services. It recommended that interventions should be aimed at maximising recovery from mental illness and building on service user and social network resources to achieve meaningful integration and participation in community life.

The Government is committed to increasing the mental health budget annually, as evidenced by the substantial additional funding of some €200 million provided for mental health from 2012 to 2018.

The implementation of A Vision for Change has been given specific priority in recent years with the additional ring-fenced funding specifically aimed at modernising mental health services in line with the programme for Government commitments. A key focus has been approval of some 1,550 additional posts to strengthen community mental health teams; enhancing specialist community mental health and forensic services, increasing access to counselling and psychotherapy; and developing suicide prevention initiatives. These posts are directly facilitating the policy of moving away from traditional institution-based care to a patient-centred, flexible and community-based mental health service. Staff recruitment and retention have been a challenge for the HSE for various reasons, with approximately two thirds of these posts filled so far in certain CHO areas. Recruitment continues and the HSE has also prioritised in particular the staffing of CAMHS units and community-based CAMHS teams.

CHO 1 serves a population of 103,778 people aged from zero to 18 years. Adjusted for population changes, A Vision for Change recommendations would result in a total of 107 whole-time equivalents being required across all community CAMHS teams. There are currently 75 whole-time equivalents in post, and a further seven whole-time equivalent approved and funded posts undergoing recruitment, that is, 76% of the recommended level. CHO 1 continues to work with the HSE mental health division to influence the prioritisation of additional funding for ongoing investment in CAMHS teams. The commitment to the continued programme for Government funding will support implementation of the Vision for Change recommendations.

Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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I again thank the Deputy for his focus on this matter. Any focus he puts on this area is always welcome, and we all want to work together towards achieving the best outcomes we can. A Vision for Change was a very ambitious document for its time. It was formulated in 2006 in a very different Ireland that had a strong, burgeoning economy. We were very ambitious back then, and rightly so. That is how it should be. We are 11 years into that ten-year plan, and to be at 80%, or almost 80% in CHO 1, is not the worst case scenario. Significant progress is being made on this. It is not enough, and I would be the first to agree with the Deputy on that and to share his concern, but it is a significant development towards that journey in that period. I am not being political or facetious about this, but one should consider the journey we have come through in those ten years and the crisis with which we had to contend as a nation, losing the financial means to do so many things. Then we had mass emigration, unemployment and so on so we lost much of our talent pool. To be at 80% is therefore not the worst case scenario. I am not saying that defensively; I am just putting a little perspective on our position. We are at almost 80% in CHO 1 with the CAMHS team. I would like to see improvements in other areas, including this area. It is not just about money. If it were, it would be great. In fairness, the Deputy acknowledged that in his contribution.

Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister of State will have another minute.

Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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I certainly will. I am already working on a mental health helpline for more appropriate referral. The Deputy makes a very good point about GPs having access to 24-hour guidance and direction on what to do in such a situation. We will actively consider that and are considering it at present. Skype is also a very useful tool as people can talk in real time to very qualified people. There need not be a qualified consultant psychiatrist at every crossroads. It can be someone on Skype with whom people can communicate. Everyone has an iPad now. There are many ways we can look at how we do what we do, and I very much welcome the Deputy's suggestion. This is the kind of politics I like to see us engage in here, that we are all actively pursuing better ways of doing what we do rather than the traditional demands for more money and more resources and so on. I will add the Deputy's suggestion into the mix.