Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Health the number of community mental health workers newly employed in 2012; the number who left the health service in 2012; the numbers likely to be recruited in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7498/13]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The Government is firmly committed to the development of community mental health services in line with A Vision for Change. In 2012, a special allocation of €35m was provided for mental health to be used primarily to further strengthen Community Mental Health Teams in both adult and children’s mental health services, to advance activities in the area of suicide prevention, to initiate the provision of psychological and counselling services in primary care, and to facilitate the transfer of mental health service users from institutional to community based care. 414 posts were approved as part of the €35m package, over 200 of which have now been filled. The remainder of the posts are at various stages of recruitment and are expected to be filled by the end of March 2013. A further €35m and over 470 new posts was provided for in Budget 2013 for the continued development of mental health services across a range of headings, including the further ongoing development of community services; the recruitment process for the new posts funded in 2013 will commence immediately.

The HSE has been asked to respond directly to the Deputy with the specific details requested in relation to the community mental health workforce.