Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 158: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will implement the findings of the Mental Health Commission report, The Economics of Mental Health Care in Ireland, which estimates that poor mental health costs the country €3 billion each year; if she will find the promised €25 million for mental health services to achieve the goals of A Vision for Change; if she will implement the recommendations of the health and children sub-committee's report on the adverse side effect of pharmaceuticals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6461/09]

John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The Mental Health Commission report, 'The Economics of Mental Health Care in Ireland' endorses the recommendations in 'A Vision for Change'. 'A Vision for Change', which has been adopted as Government policy for the future development of mental health services acknowledges that the costs associated with mental health issues are far-reaching, impacting on the quality of life of individuals and their families, employment and productivity and on the economy in general. This Government is firmly committed to the implementation of 'A Vision for Change' so that individuals can achieve and maintain optimum mental health for the benefit, both social and economic, of society as a whole.

Substantial resources are invested in mental health services. Overall spending on mental health services in 2007 amounted to €1 billion, and this level of funding continued into 2008 and 2009. Implementing 'A Vision for Change' is essentially about the reallocation and remodelling of these resources.

The estimated additional cost of the implementation of 'A Vision for Change' is €150m over 7 — 10 years. Development funding totalling €51.2m was allocated to the HSE in 2006 and 2007, some of which was diverted because of core budgetary pressures. However, I am advised by the HSE that 94% of the €51.2m will be in place before the end of 2009. Additional funding has been provided in 2009 for the recruitment of 35 therapy posts for the child and adolescent mental health service. Once-off funding of €1.75m has also been provided in 2009 for suicide prevention initiatives and for mental health projects supporting service users and carers.

Following the publication of the Oireachtas sub-committee's Report on the Adverse Side Effects of Pharmaceuticals in April 2007, the Irish Medicines Board (IMB) initiated a process to examine the various items raised. This process involved the appointment of independent external consultants and experts in the field of pharmacovigilance and drug safety who conducted a robust assessment of the proposals which was completed in late 2007.

The outcomes of this assessment were communicated to my Department and proposals made concerning conduct of clinical trials and post authorisation studies are already provided for in legislation and are the subject of a range of initiatives. One such initiative underway at European level is an EMEA (European Medicines Agency) project to establish a European Network of Centres for Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacovigilance (ENCePP) to look at ways of establishing studies in the various member states and enhancing the sharing of study data across the EU. The IMB's intensive involvement with the EMEA and European medicines regulation ensures our full engagement with this initiative and access to all resultant patient safety information.

Regarding the handling of Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) reporting, a number of items highlighted in the Oireachtas sub-committee's report reflected submissions made by the IMB and the consultant's assessment drew attention to the following opportunities which are currently being progressed by the IMB: further development of stakeholder education strategy to include safety issues across the organisation, expanding the current IMB adverse reaction education and awareness programme to a wider health care professional base, members of the public and to enhance the profile of the topic in the media, targeted campaign focussed on improving awareness of adverse reaction reporting among health professionals and the public,the publication of high level adverse reaction data.

The sub-Committee's report referred to the need to increase the reporting of ADRs. Following on from this, the IMB has developed a website which has the capacity to take on-line reporting of adverse reaction reports. This system became operational in 2008 and reports are being taken from both health care professionals and patients. The website can be accessed at; http://www.imb.ie/EN/Safety--Quality/Online-Forms/Human-Medicine-Adverse-Drug-Reaction.aspx.