Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 498: To ask the Minister for Health his strategy to address the issue of youth suicide, particularly for young males under the age of 35 years; his plans to address mental illnesses suffered by young men; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29917/11]

Alan Farrell (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Question 510: To ask the Minister for Health the various mental health resources available to children and teenagers; the current programmes in place to raise awareness and encourage good mental health among children and teenagers; his plans to increase availability of mental health resources and raise awareness for children and teenagers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30012/11]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 498 and 510 together.

A Vision for Change identified mental health services for children and young people as a priority area for development. The HSE has therefore placed a particular emphasis on developing child and adolescent mental health teams, improving in-patient access and addressing waiting times for assessment, and progress has been made in recent years. There are now 61 multi-disciplinary Child and Adolescent Mental Health teams nationally and further teams will be developed in line with the recommendations of A Vision for Change.

In terms of child and adolescent mental health infrastructure, two new purpose built units opened earlier this year at Bessborough, Cork and Merlin Park, Galway, increasing the total bed capacity to 36 beds, with a further increase to 52 beds expected before the end of 2011. It is proposed to provide further beds in the Dublin region and, in this regard, work is due to commence 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 close to completion.

Specific initiatives aimed at addressing young people's mental health include the Jigsaw Programme, which was designed by Headstrong and its panel of youth advisors, and is an evidence-based integrated model designed to strengthen a community's capacity to support young people's mental health. It works on a partnership model, pulling together and aligning all existing resources and expertise in any given community. Jigsaw is up and running in Counties Galway, Roscommon, Kerry, Meath and Ballymun in Dublin. An additional €1m Innovation Funding was allocated to Headstrong in 2011 to support the expansion of Jigsaw to Donegal, Offaly, Clondalkin, Tallaght, North Fingal and Dublin 15.

Further initiatives aimed at addressing young people's mental health include:

- The HSE National Office for Suicide Prevention public education campaign, centred around www.yourmentalhealth.ie. In addition www.letsomeoneknow.ie is a website specifically targeted at a younger audience.

- Reaching Out (awareness) safeTALK (alertness) and ASIST (intervention) are three training programmes which are available across the country through the HSE Resource Officers for Suicide Prevention and are accessed by volunteers, staff from statutory / non-statutory agencies and community groups.

- The National Youth Council of Ireland is training youth workers to deliver the MindOut programme to early school leavers across the country. An evaluation of this mental health promotion programme has demonstrated its efficacy in improving knowledge, attitudes and behaviours.

- Shine is in receipt of funding to deliver Taking Control workshops across the country to those who have become unemployed and are facing financial or personal challenges. The practical workshop focuses on ways to build resilience, enhance coping skills and build self-esteem.

- The National Traveller Suicide Awareness Project is being funded by the HSE. This community development project to address the issue of suicide among young Traveller men will devise and deliver culturally appropriate suicide and mental health awareness programmes for a population which is traditionally hard to reach.

- The Dodder Valley Partnership/Suicide Action West Tallaght project focuses on unemployed men/men in financial distress who are expressing suicidal ideation.

- The National Office for Suicide Prevention in the HSE is also working with an all-island Men's Health Forum on a project specifically addressing Men's Health which includes Mental Health issues.

The Government is committed to improving access to community based mental health services and proposes to ringfence €35m annually from within the health budget to develop community based teams and services.