Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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682. To ask the Minister for Health the amount of funding promised for mental health services for 2013; if the €30 million announced for this purpose in 2012 was fully utilised for that purpose; if the funds announced for this purpose in 2011 were also fully utilised for that purpose; if any funds are available to carry over for these services in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36207/13]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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684. To ask the Minister for Health if he will report on the 891 additional community mental health posts that have been filled to date; and if the additional €70 million that was provided over the two previous budgets for community mental health services has been spent [36288/13]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 682 and 684 together.

In 2012, a special allocation of €35 million 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 to implement the €35 million package of special measures. Budgetary pressures within the HSE delayed the full utilisation of this funding, but this sum is now available to mental health services along with an additional €35 million allocated in Budget 2013 for the continued development of our mental health services. As at 16 July 2013, 389 of the 414 posts have either been filled, are under offer or awaiting clearance.

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.

477 posts have been approved this year for the continued development of our mental health services. As at 16th July 2013, 132 of the 477 posts have been accepted by candidates with clearances being processed and a further 16 posts have been offered to candidates to express an interest.

I have received assurances from 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.