Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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807. To ask the Minister for Health the number of child and adolescent inpatient beds available in psychiatric hospitals for young persons experiencing mental health difficulties; the location of these inpatient beds; the number of inpatient beds at each location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1019/14]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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A Vision for Change recommends the provision of 80 child and adolescent psychiatric in-patient beds nationally. There are at present 44 such beds provided throughout the country. It is intended that the Health Service Executive will increase this capacity, as part of its wider approach to developing mental health services over 2014 and beyond. I have referred the Deputy's question to the HSE for direct reply in respect of the detailed information sought, and the Executive's plans in this regard.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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808. To ask the Minister for Health the progress being made to provide mental health services in the community; what such services consist of; in which locations and primary care centres mental health services are now provided; the number of Health Service Executive employed staff now working in this area; the number that are expected to be recruited in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1020/14]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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In 2012, a special allocation of €35m and 414 additional posts were 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, specifically for people with mental health problems, and 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.

A further additional €35 million 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.

Recruitment of the posts approved for both 2012 and 2013 is continuing. As at the end of November, 2013 the recruitment process is complete or in the final stages for 394 or 95% of the 414 posts approved in 2012. Of the posts approved in 2013, the recruitment process is complete for 137.5 or 29% of the posts, 134.5 or 28% have been accepted and are being processed for clearance and 165 or 35% are at earlier stages of the recruitment or HR process. The posts related to the €35 million allocated in 2013 will continue to come on stream and are targeted to be completed in Quarter 2 of 2014.

There are, however, a number of posts for which there are difficulties in identifying suitable candidates due to factors including availability of qualified candidates and geographic location. The HSE's National Recruitment Service 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. Options to enable more local recruitment are also being considered where this will assist in filling specific posts. I have received assurances from the HSE that the recruitment process for these posts is being given priority within the HSE.

In Budget 2014, the Government has again re-committed to the continued development of our mental health services in these extremely challenging times, where the options for additional expenditure generally are very constrained. €20 million is being ringfenced for the further development of our mental health services in 2014. This means that, despite serious resource pressures overall, funding of €90m has been made available since 2012 up to end of 2014, which has been specifically ear-marked for mental health and suicide prevention. This funding will enable the HSE to continue to develop and modernise our mental health services in line with the recommendations of A Vision for Change and will allow for the recruitment of between 250 and 280 additional staff to further enhance our:

Adult Community Mental Health Teams

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Teams

Specialist Mental Health Teams.

The recruitment process for these new posts will commence in the first Quarter of 2014, with all posts targeted to be in place by Quarter 4 of 2014.

With regard to the locations and primary care centres in which mental health services are now provided, as this is a service issue I am referring this part of the Deputy's question to the HSE for direct reply.