Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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408. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide funding in the 2016 mental health budget (details supplied) in compliance with A Vision for Change, the mental health services report for 2006, which recommended that a minimum of 8.5% of the health budget should be allocated to mental health to implement its recommendations, including a comprehensive 24 hour, seven day community-based service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41588/15]

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, and to prioritise new resources to underpin the implementation of A Vision for Change.This Government, despite severe financial pressures overall, has provided additional ring-fenced funding of €125 million up to end 2015, for new developments in mental health. However, on a year-by-year basis the HSE mental health budget has also been subject to downward adjustments for pay and procurement savings, similar to other HSE service areas.

I am pleased that I have secured a further €35 million for mental health for 2016. This means that during the lifetime of this Government, we will have provided a total of €160 million ring-fenced funding for mental health up to the end of 2016, to develop and enhance our mental health services. My priorities for next year include the development of quality counselling services across both primary and secondary care, the expansion of the Jigsaw youth mental health service to Dublin and Cork city centres, investment in improved 24/7 responses and liaison services and Psychiatry of Later Life. The level of health services to be provided within the available funding will be set out in the HSE’s 2016 National Service Plan, which is expected to be finalised shortly.

The staff of our health service is our largest and most important resource. In relation to the staffing level, at the end of 2006, the mental health services employed 9,985 WTE staff. It currently stands at approximately 9,300 WTE staff. It is acknowledged that, notwithstanding the additional 1,150 new posts approved for mental health since 2012, the numbers employed in the service have been reducing over recent years for a number of reasons including retirements, staff leaving to take up other posts, and the moratorium on recruitment etc. However, while staffing levels have fallen there are some positives that must be acknowledged:

- Many of the staff numbers lost were supporting the excessive numbers of beds which are no longer part of the service user recovery focused modern community based-service model for mental health.

- We have been able to mitigate the overall reduction in numbers thanks to the priority ring-fenced Programme for Government investments since 2012.

- This investment has allowed us to begin to re-balance the staff skill mix in mental health to introduce new staff in the historically under represented disciplines recommended in Vision i.e. psychologists, social workers and occupational therapists.

I can assure the Deputy that this Government remains committed to prioritising and improving our mental health services.