Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 163: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the details of the information team for introducing the recommendations on the report A Vision for Change; and the number of times and dates that this team has met. [11899/07]

Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)
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I presume the question refers to the independent monitoring group for "A Vision for Change" — the Report of the Expert Group on Mental Health Policy.

I established the monitoring group in March 2006. The Chair of the Group is Dr Ruth Barrington, Chief Executive Officer of the Health Research Board. The other members of the Group are Dr. Tony Bates, Executive Director, National Centre for Youth Mental Health, Mr. Pat Brosnan, Director of Mental Health Services, HSE Mid-Western Area, Dr. Susan Finnerty, Acting Inspector of Mental Health Services, Mr. Paul Flynn, Service User, Ms. Dora Hennessy, Principal, Mental Health Division, Department of Health and Children, Dr. Terry Lynch, General Practitioner and Psychotherapist, and Mr. Stephen Jackson, Department of Health, Social Security and Public Safety, Belfast.

The Group's terms of reference are:

To monitor and assess progress on the implementation of all the recommendations in A Vision for Change;

To make recommendations in relation to the manner in which the recommendations are implemented;

To report to the Minister annually on progress made towards implementing the recommendations of the Report and to publish the report.

The Group is to submit its first report before mid-2007. To date, six meetings have been held on the following dates: 25 April 2006, 22 May 2006, 12 September 2006, 27 November 2006, 18 January 2007 and 15 March 2007.

Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 164: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the details of the National Working Group on Mental Health guidelines for the management of depression and anxiety disorders in primary care. [11900/07]

Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)
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The National Working Group on Mental Health in Primary Care was established by the Health Service Executive (HSE). The Working Group brought together the expertise of General Practitioners, Consultant Psychiatrists, Psychiatric Nurses, Clinical Psychologists, a Primary Care Director, Mental Health Promotion Officer, Director of Counselling and a Chief Pharmacist. Working in close collaboration, the HSE and the Irish College of General Practitioners developed and piloted guidelines. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that I launched the Mental Health in Primary Care Resource Pack on 31 January 2007.

Following the launch, the resource pack was circulated to all General Practitioners. The materials include:

Mental Health in Primary Care

Guidelines on the Management of Depression & Anxiety Disorders

Guidance on the Provision of Counselling in a Primary Care setting

Alcohol Aware Practice — Service Initiative

New referral forms to Adult and Child & Adolescent mental health services.