Patrick Nulty (Dublin West, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Health if the €5 million allocated in the Health Service Executive's 2012 National Service Plan for mental health in primary care and access to psychotherapy services will be spent for this purpose in 2012; the date on which the 10 posts for mental health in primary care and access to psychotherapy services will be filled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52374/12]

Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding the promised investment of €35 million annually in community mental health (details supplied) [52952/12]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 641 and 706 together.

Funding from the €35 million special allocation for mental health will be used primarily to further strengthen Community Mental Health Teams in both Adult and Children’s mental health services. Some of the funding will also be used to advance activities in the area of suicide prevention and to initiate the provision of psychological and counselling services in primary care, specifically for people with mental health problems. Provision is also being made to facilitate the re-location of mental health service users from institutional care to more independent living arrangements in their communities, in line with A Vision for Change.

414 posts were approved to implement the €35 million package of special measures for mental health. To date 17 posts have been filled and over 270 offers of employment have already been accepted and the appointments are proceeding. Interviews for the 10 posts for the psychological and counselling services in primary care were completed last week and the results will be issued shortly. The start dates for these 10 posts are expected to be in early 2013 to allow for the process of checking references etc. while most of the other start dates are expected to commence in December 2012. The Government remains committed to engaging these professionals as soon as is feasible and the work of completing the process remains a priority.

With regard to the level of funding for mental health next year, this is being considered as part of the Estimates and budgetary process for 2013 which is currently underway.