John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 219: To ask the Minister for Health and Children further to the commitment given by the Government to a new national policy framework for mental health, A Vision for Change, the length of time by which waiting times will be reduced; the number of children's inpatient facilities that will be available as children can wait years for access to mental health services with approximately 300 children per year placed in adult inpatient facilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5575/07]

Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)
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The report of the Expert Group on Mental Health Policy, entitled "A Vision for Change", was launched in January 2006. It recommends, inter alia, that child and adolescent mental health services should provide mental health services to all aged 0-18 years.

Implementation of the individual recommendations of "A Vision for Change" is a matter primarily for the HSE. The HSE established an implementation group in July 2006 to ensure that mental health services develop in a synchronised and consistent manner across the country and to guide and resource service managers and clinicians in making the recommendations in "A Vision for Change" a reality. The HSE plan to publish a progress report and outline their proposed implementation programme for "A Vision for Change" in the near future.

In 2006, a sum of €26.2 million was provided for the development of our mental health services in line with "A Vision for Change". A further sum of €25 million has been allocated for 2007 to continue this development. A significant amount of this year's funding, €7.95 million, is for the development of child and adolescent psychiatric services.

Transitional arrangements to facilitate the expansion of current service provision were considered by a HSE forum on Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Inpatient Capacity. The forum's report was published in September 2006 and accepted by the board of the HSE. It recommended, as an interim measure pending the development of child and adolescent in-patient units, the provision of an additional 24-32 dedicated adolescent psychiatric beds, primarily for the 16 and 17 year age group, in adult facilities across the four HSE administrative areas. Dedicated child and adolescent multidisciplinary teams will be provided for these additional beds and training will be provided for staff in the identified units. In addition, a further 12 beds will be provided at existing child psychiatric units (6 in St Anne's, Galway and 6 in Warrenstown House, Dublin) for the under 16 age group.

The Mental Health Commission acknowledges that the admission of children to adult units is undesirable, however, in situations where there is no available alternative, such admissions may be necessary. The Commission has issued a code of practice relating to the admission of children under the Mental Health Act 2001. Meanwhile, planning for four 20-bed child and adolescent inpatient units in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick is underway.

The majority of children who experience mental illness do not require inpatient treatment. Current waiting lists for child and adolescent mental health services are being validated by the HSE. All urgent cases are prioritised for immediate assessment. Additional child and adolescent multidisciplinary teams are being provided, in line with the recommendations of "A Vision for Change", to ensure that children have improved access to community-based mental health services.