John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 208: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the direction she has issued to the Health Service Executive officials in the north west region concerning St. Columba's Hospital Sligo and the provision of a psychiatric unit on the campus of Sligo General Hospital, which has been planned for a number of years with tender document issued; her views on whether the development of psychiatric services there has been ignored for too long; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6442/06]

Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)
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The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, the Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to reply directly to the Deputy.

John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 209: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the steps she will take to further develop psychiatric services where it is accepted that one in four of the population will suffer a psychiatric or psychological condition at some stage in their lives, which reflects the enormous level of suffering for too many families, in view of the recent announcement regarding mental health institutions here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6443/06]

Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)
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The report of the expert group on mental health policy, A Vision for Change, was launched on 24 January 2006. The report proposes a holistic view of mental illness and recommends an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to addressing the biological, psychological and social factors that contribute to mental health problems. It proposes a person-centred treatment approach which addresses each of these elements through an integrated care plan reflecting best practice and evolved and agreed with service users and their carers. Special emphasis is given to the need to involve service users and their families and carers at every level of service provision.

This policy envisions an active, flexible and community-based mental health service where the need for hospital admission will be greatly reduced. It will require substantial funding but there is considerable equity in buildings and lands within the current mental health system which could be realised to fund this plan. Therefore, the report recommends that steps be taken to bring about the closure of all psychiatric hospitals and to invest the resources released by these closures in the mental health service. The closure of large mental hospitals and the move to modern units attached to general hospitals, together with the expansion of community services, has been Government policy since the publication of Planning for the Future in 1984.

The Health Service Executive, which has primary responsibility for implementing the recommendations of the expert report, has stated that the national mental health directorate within the executive will immediately establish an implementation group to ensure that the recommendations are realised in a timely and co-ordinated manner.