Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

On behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, I thank Senator Devine for raising this issue. As the Senator is aware, the Joint Committee on the Future of Mental Health Care was established in July 2017 with the aim of achieving cross-party agreement on the implementation of a single long-term vision for mental healthcare and the direction of mental health policy in Ireland. The main aim of the joint committee was to examine the delivery of mental health services with a focus on finding, recruitment challenges and increased access to services. The joint committee produced two interim reports dated December 2017 and April 2018, respectively, and a final report was launched in October 2018.

Under its terms of reference, the joint committee recognised that the Department of Health was simultaneously conducting a review of the national mental health policy, A Vision for Change. The joint committee invited various individuals and professionals with expertise in mental health to attend monthly meetings and provide input from their own perspectives on how best to reduce waiting times, increase capacity and provide additional mental healthcare services nationally. Upon completion of its final report, the work of the Oireachtas committee came to an end. While the committee requested in its final report that it be established on a permanent footing, the terms of reference provided that it would make its final report to both Houses of the Oireachtas by 31 October 2018 and "thereupon stand dissolved". Consequently, there are no plans to establish the committee on a permanent basis.

Among the main objectives of the committee was to assist with the completion of the implementation of A Vision for Change to create a more integrated mental healthcare service of the highest quality. As such, the committee's work was firmly affiliated with the refresh policy of A Vision for Change, which is now nearing completion. From an early stage in the refresh process, there was an emphasis on the importance of consultation. Over 1,000 individuals, including service users, health professionals and community groups, provided input into that consultation process. A major review was undertaken to include recent policy recommendations contained in interdepartmental reports. As part of the review, all submissions to the joint committee were coded with relevant actions embedded in the refresh process under A Vision for Change. It is anticipated that the final report on the refresh process under A Vision for Change will be completed by end of the first quarter of 2019. The report will be informed by the work of the joint committee and the key concerns presented to the committee by various stakeholders during its consultation process will be taken on board.In line with the recommendations of the committee, the refreshed A Vision for Change will support better access, personalised choice and greater service user involvement, while those charged with its implementation will be fully accountable to the Oireachtas.