Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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578. To ask the Minister for Health the numbers of staff that have been recruited into mental health services since 2011; the actual increase in numbers of positions in view of natural wastage, redundancy and retirement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49694/14]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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In line with the Programme for Government, my priority as Minister has been to modernise our mental health services, notwithstanding the severe resource constraints overall in recent years, and to prioritise new resources to underpin implementation of A Vision for Change.In that regard, the Government provided an additional €90 million and some 1,150 posts for mental health, between 2012 and 2014, comprising €35 million with 416 posts in 2012, €35 million with 477 posts in 2013, and €20 million for the recruitment of approximately 260 posts in 2014. A further €35 million has been provided for 2015, bringing the total allocated to this area by this Government to €125 million. The funding is being used to continue to strengthen Community Mental Health Teams for both adults and children, to enhance specialist community mental health services for older people with a mental illness, those with an intellectual disability and mental illness, forensic mental health services, and to enhance access to counselling and psychotherapy in primary care and investment in suicide prevention measures.

As at end November 2014, 397 or 95% of the 2012 posts and 362 or 77% of the 2013 posts have been filled, with a further 4 WTEs with agreed start dates after 30th November 2014. The remainder of the posts are at various stages of recruitment, however there are some difficulties in identifying some outstanding candidates for geographic and qualification reasons.

With regard to the 2014 posts, some 220 posts have been identified following a comprehensive workforce analysis and recruitment of these posts has commenced. Services are targeting recruitment of all posts as early as possible in 2015.

During the period between in question, the number of staff has fluctuated due to departures for various reasons, including redundancy, retirement or staff moving to take up employment elsewhere. At the end of November 2014, the total number of whole time equivalent staff (WTEs) in the HSE Mental Health Services was 8,953. This compares with 9,207 WTEs listed in the HSE National Service Plan at the end of 2011, which represents a net loss of 254 WTEs over the period to end 2014. However, it is important to note that recruitment of posts under the new allocation did not commence until the end of 2012, at which time there were 8,909 WTEs in place. The recruitment of new posts, while challenging in the current environment, has enabled the gradual decline in posts to be arrested, resulting in a slight drop of 3 posts at the end of 2013 (8,906), compared to the end of 2012, but in an increase of 47 WTEs at the end of November 2014 (8,953), compared to start of that year.

The additional funding provided since 2012 is enabling the HSE to recruit staff who are more suited to the development of a community-focussed mental health service and has provided for a required change in the mix of staff, in particular Allied Health Professionals, across Community Mental Health Teams, in line with A Vision for Change. The targeted actions now relate to addressing the skills shortages, largely in nursing and psychology, which are being considered in terms of how we can attract and source these professionals and how incentivised schemes are affecting decisions of experienced staff to leave the service.

The key priorities in the HSE's 2015 National Service Plan include:

- devising a funded Workforce Plan and Workforce Development Strategy to ensure an adequate level of trained and skilled staff;

- developing and implementing a process to maximise the allocation of resources on an equitable basis aligned to population and deprivation, and

- addressing the infrastructure and support deficits for staff to work effectively within their professions.

These priority actions will build on the significant foundational reform of our Mental Health Services, initiated in the HSE NSP 2014, which included initial work on workforce planning, training and development and improved recruitment services.