Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 285: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her manpower plan for introducing the recommendations on the report A Vision for Change. [37680/06]

Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)
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"A Vision for Change", the report of the expert group on mental health policy, outlines the manpower requirements to implement the recommendations of the report. The proposed new mental health work force will comprise over 11,000 staff. Allowing for the assimilation of all existing posts, the expert group has estimated that a total of 1,803 new posts are required. Due to the current non-availability of certain health professionals, these additional posts are to be introduced on an incremental basis.

The responsibility for implementing the recommendations of "A Vision for Change", including the recruitment of the necessary staff, rests primarily with the Health Service Executive. I have established a monitoring group which will oversee the progress made in implementing the report and providing the necessary staff resources. Additional funding of over €25 million has been made available to mental health services in 2006 which has facilitated the recruitment of additional staff.