Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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1117. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 250 and 251 of the 16th of May 2013 if final approval has been issued to the two remaining Health Service Executive regions; if he will provide a county breakdown detailing the posts provided under the €35million funding provided; if he has satisfied himself that the funding has been utilised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35140/13]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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An additional €35m which was provided in Budget 2013 for the continued development of mental health services across a range of headings, including the further development of forensic services and community mental health teams for adults, children, older persons and mental health intellectual disability and to the recruitment of 477 additional staff to implement these measures.

Each of the four HSE regions were asked to submit a business case against each of the identified objectives detailing how the funding is to be spent and the type and number of WTE to be recruited. Approval has issued to all four HSE Regions to enable recruitment to commence. As at end June 2013, 117 of the 477 posts approved in 2013 had been accepted by candidates and are awaiting clearance with a further 34 posts offered to candidates.

The HSE’s National Recruitment Service (NRS) creates national panels in anticipation of vacancies. On occasion however, it is difficult to fill some posts for various reasons including geographical location, international shortage of some grades, most notably clinical Psychologists etc. The NRS is currently working to ensure that the remaining posts will be filled as soon as possible, from existing panels or through competition in the absence of panels, at the earliest opportunity. I have been assured by the HSE that the recruitment process for the new posts being funded in 2013, and any outstanding posts from the 414 approved in 2012, is being given priority within the HSE.

In relation to the breakdown of the additional posts on a county basis, as this is a service matter, it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.