Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 277: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the allocation from her Department for the implementation of the recommendations of A Vision for Change, the report of the expert committee on mental health, for 2009. [11200/09]

John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The estimated additional cost of the implementation of 'A Vision for Change' the Report of the Expert Group on Mental Health Policy is €150m over 7–10 years. Development funding totalling €51.2m was allocated to the HSE in 2006 and 2007. Additional funding has been provided in 2009 for the recruitment of 35 therapy posts for the child and adolescent mental health service. Implementing 'A Vision for Change' also requires the reallocation and remodelling of existing resources which are in the region of €1 billion.

Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 278: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of persons admitted as involuntary patients to approved medical centres in 2008; the number of these admissions who have had their cases reviewed by a tribunal; the number of cases in which the tribunal has removed the involuntary admission order; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11201/09]

Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 279: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the gross fees paid in association with the operation of the mental health tribunals during 2008; the number of statutory orders notified to the Mental Health Commission in 2008 and the average cost per notification per hearing for 2008. [11202/09]

John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 278 and 279 together.

Under the Mental Health Act 2001, all admission and renewal orders are notified to the Mental Health Commission. The Act also requires that the detention of the patient concerned be reviewed by a Mental Health Tribunal within 21 days of making the admission or renewal order.

The number of involuntary admissions, renewal orders and Mental Health Tribunal activity in 2008 is set out in the following table:

The gross fees paid to date for mental health tribunals held in 2008 is €9,755,433 including VAT. It should be noted that a number of unclaimed fees are still outstanding for 2008. Based on the above expenditure, the average cost per notification is €2,922.