Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 98: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the dedicated services currently in place for children aged 16 years and over who require in-patient psychiatric hospital treatment; the action proposed to be taken to put in place essential services; and the timeframe involved. [2783/08]

Jimmy Devins (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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The Mental Health Act 2001, which has been implemented in full since 1 November 2006, recognises 16 and 17 year olds as children, whereas under the Mental Treatment Act 1945, this age group was treated as adult.

"A Vision for Change" provides a framework of 7-10 years for the development of mental health services, including services for children and adolescents. It makes a number of recommendations for the development of these services including the recruitment of 40 additional child and adolescent community mental health teams and the provision of four 20 bed units. Implementation of these recommendations is the responsibility of the Health Service Executive.

A total of €11.2 million revenue funding has been provided to the HSE over 2006 and 2007 for the development of child and adolescent services. At the end of 2007, there were 47 child and adolescent mental health teams in place and 12 child and adolescent beds for children under 16 years. In 2008 the HSE plan to recruit 8 additional child and adolescent mental health teams and commission 18 additional beds for children and adolescents, 14 of which will be for children over 16 years. Construction of two 20 bed units in Cork and Galway is also expected to commence in 2008.