Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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546. To ask the Minister for Health if he will compare the current number of inpatient beds available for children with mental health difficulties here with international best standards and agreed national targets. [14340/15]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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As this is a service issue this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply. If you have not received a reply within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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547. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the implementation of A Vision for Change; and if he is satisfied with the progress. [14341/15]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Since coming into office, this Government has prioritised the reform and resourcing of our mental health services in line with the recommendations in A Vision for Change. Additional funding totalling €125 million has been provided primarily to strengthen Community Mental Health Teams for both adults and children and to enhance specialist community mental health services for older people with a mental illness, those with an intellectual disability and mental illness, and forensic mental health services.

This sustained investment in mental health since 2012 has resulted in over 1,150 new staff for the sector. As at the end of January 2015, of the 416 approved posts in 2012, approximately 96% (401.5) are now filled. Of the 477 posts approved in 2013, 84% (403) are filled. The remainder of the vacant posts are at various stages of recruitment, with some difficulties in identifying some outstanding candidates, primarily for geographic and qualification reasons. The recruitment of the 251 approved posts for 2014 has commenced, with 25% filled (64) and a further 58 at various stages of the recruitment process.

A great deal of progress has been made with the accelerated closure of old psychiatric hospitals and their replacement with bespoke new facilities, better suited to modern mental health care. Progress also includes the establishment of the HSE Mental Health Division which delivers on a key recommendation of Vision, the development of child and adolescent services, shorter episodes of in-patient care, the adoption of a recovery approach in the delivery of services and the involvement of service users in all aspects of mental health policy, service planning and delivery.

Implementation of Visionis ongoing. Work will be undertaken during 2015 to prioritise outstanding actions informing the identification of any gaps in service. The additional €35 million provided for mental health in Budget 2015 will be directed towards the continued prioritised development and reconfiguration of General Adult teams, including Psychiatry of Later Life, and Child and Adolescent Community Mental Health teams. This will be delivered through further recruitment and investment in agencies and services in order to achieve a consistent service provision across all areas. In addition, the funding will also permit urgent specialist needs to be addressed, including psychiatric intensive care, forensic mental health, mental health intellectual disability care, and psychiatric liaison services. The HSE Operational Plan details the spectrum of services provided by each Mental Health Service Extended Catchment Area and the priorities for 2015.