Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 399: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if Health Service Executive officials will attend a meeting on 23 May 2011 in HSE Swords between the clinical director and local clinicians in north Dublin involved in the care of persons aged 16 and 17 who are psychiatrically unwell; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12712/11]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 400: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if he will review the services available for persons aged 16 and 17 who urgently need psychiatric assessment and care in the north Dublin region in view of the ban on the admission of adolescents into adult wards and further in view of the fact that the Fairview adolescent unit only has six beds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12713/11]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 401: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if he will consider the creation of youth mental health teams including psychiatrists, psychologists and nurses to address and enhance mental health services for adolescents and young adults; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12714/11]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 399 to 401, inclusive, together.

I understand from the Health Service Executive that the Area Manager attended the meeting in Swords.

This Government is committed to the development of the child and adolescent mental health service. In this regard the Government will reform our model of healthcare delivery so that more care is delivered in the community; access to modern mental health services in the community will therefore be significantly improved. It is proposed to ringfence €35m annually from within the health budget to develop community mental health teams and services to ensure early access to more appropriate services for both adults and children.

It is envisaged that the provision of improved community based services, coupled with an increase in bed capacity, will put an end to the practice of placing children and adolescents in adult psychiatric facilities. There are currently 61 multidisciplinary child and adolescent mental health teams nationally and further teams will be developed in line with the recommendations in A Vision for Change . In terms of child and adolescent mental health service infrastructure, currently bed capacity nationally is 52. It is proposed to provide further beds in the Dublin region and in this regard work is due to commence later this year on the second phase of the child and adolescent unit at St. Vincent's Hospital, Fairview which will increase capacity from 6 to 12 beds, and on the development of an 8 bedded facility at St Loman's, Palmerstown. In addition work on the Linn Dara Child and Adolescent Mental Health Day Facility in Cherry Orchard, Dublin is expected to be completed by September 2011. It is anticipated that this facility will provide day care and treatment for children and adolescents with mental health needs and will obviate the need for some admissions.