Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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Question 546: To ask the Minister for Health his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding mental health services [32432/11]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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This commitment was clearly shown in the Programme for Government which provides that €35 million will be ring-fenced annually from within the overall health budget to develop community mental health services and to ensure early access to more appropriate services for adults and children. This is currently being considered as part of the Estimates process for 2012 and future years. A Vision for Change contains some 200 recommendations to be implemented over a 7 - 10 year timeframe. While it is accepted that progress on implementation has been slower than originally anticipated, services in many parts of the country are pressing ahead with implementation which includes the phased closure of psychiatric hospitals. Significant progress has been achieved to date including: shorter episodes of in-patient care, improved child and adolescent mental health services, fewer involuntary admissions and the involvement of service users in all aspects of mental health policy, service planning and delivery. It is the Government's intention that over time access to modern mental health services in the community will be significantly improved and my priority as Minister of State with responsibility for Mental Health will be to further advance the implementation of A Vision for Change. I have asked the HSE to prepare an implementation plan, which will identify specific areas of A Vision for Change that can be progressed over the next three years, with timelines, detailed costs, structures and identifiable person(s) responsible for driving the change including delivery on the commitments in our Programme for Government. Issues related to staffing levels particularly in community mental health teams will be examined in this context.

A Vision for Change also recognised that all citizens should be treated equally and that access to employment for people with mental health difficulties should be on the same basis as any other citizen. We are endeavouring, through housing, education and community based health care, to provide the environment in which employment opportunities can be availed of by all on an equal basis.