Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Question 86: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if funding for mental health services will be increased from the current 7.7% to 12% in line with the overall global proportion of spending on mental health problems and compared with funding of 12% in England and 18% in Scotland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22316/07]

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Question 108: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the way funding disparities between the various health services will be resolved in budget 2008 having regard to the current 7.7% expenditure on mental health services in view of the fact that mental health problems account for 12% of the overall global disease burden; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22315/07]

Jimmy Devins (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 86 and 108 together.

The proportion of overall health spending on mental health is frequently used to make a point on the adequacy of funding. However, it is not valid to make this comparison. As the nature and scope of total health services change, funding ratios automatically change. The 7.7% expenditure on mental health referred to by the Deputy only reflects expenditure on specialist mental health services. This will amount to €1 billion in 2007. It is important to bear in mind that some 90% of public mental health services are provided at primary care level. The expenditure on these services is not captured in the figure of 7.7% referred to by the Deputy. This underlines the need for caution when drawing conclusions from percentages of total health expenditure.

It is more meaningful to note that, since 1997, public expenditure on specialist mental health services has trebled. The spending on other services at primary care level has also increased substantially.