Written answers
Wednesday, 2 April 2008
Department of Health and Children
Mental Health Services
9:00 pm
Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 305: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the expenditure on mental health services for each of the years 2006, 2007 and to date in 2008; the utilisation, for the years 2006 and 2007, of the extra â¬25 million allocated on an annual basis for the implementation of A Vision for Change, the national policy for mental health; the outcomes of these additional expenditures; if portions of these two â¬25 million allocations remain unspent; if so, the action that will be taken regarding these remainders; the projected additional expenditure for the implementation of the national policy for mental health for the years 2008, 2009 and 2010; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11568/08]
Jimmy Devins (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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Substantial resources have been invested in mental health services. Estimated expenditure in 2006 and 2007 was â¬984 million and â¬1 billion respectively. It is important to bear in mind that some 90% of mental health services are provided at primary care level. Expenditure on these services is not captured in the above figures.
The estimated additional cost of the implementation of 'A Vision for Change' the Report of the Expert Group on Mental Health Policy is â¬150m over 7 â 10 years. A total of â¬51.2 million has been allocated since 2006 which represents over a third of the overall requirement. In addition to the extra funding required, existing resources need to be remodelled and reallocated. Indeed, implementation of 'A Vision for Change' is dependent to a much greater extent on the remodelling of existing resources than on new funding. Both aspects of the additional investment and the reorganisation of existing mental health services and resources must be managed in parallel.
The Department of Health and Children has been advised by the HSE that the additional â¬51.2m development funding was not used as planned because of competing expenditure pressures and the overriding obligation on the HSE to live within its approved overall allocation. As a result, some of the planned developments in mental health services have been delayed. However, I understand from the HSE that some of the mental health services funded in 2006 and 2007 will be put in place in 2008. These include
the provision of 8 additional Consultant Child Psychiatry teams
the provision of 18 additional beds for children and adolescents at St. Anne's, Galway, St. Vincent's, Fairview and St. Stephen's Hospital, Cork, to increase the bed complement from the current provision of 12 to 30 during 2008, and
the construction of two 20 bed units for children and adolescents in Cork and Galway. Construction on these units is expected to commence in 2008 and be completed in 2009.
The Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney has made it clear to the HSE in the context of their Service Plan for 2008 that there can be no question of diverting capital or development funds to meet expenditure pressures in relation to other services. The Minister also pointed out that she believed there is scope within the HSE's overall allocation to deliver further service enhancements in 2008 over and above those outlined in the Service Plan through improved performance / productivity and realignment of existing resources. The implementation of "A Vision for Change" will be a key priority for the recently established Office for Disability and Mental Health.
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