Noel Rock (Dublin North West, Fine Gael)
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955. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to ring-fence the budget for mental health services and to reverse recent cuts made to it. [10688/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Funding for mental health services will increase this year, no matter what developments take place during 2016. Funding for mental health in 2016 will increase from the 2015 outturn of €785 million, to a projected budget of €826 million in the 2016 NSP, an increase of €41 million or 5.2% which includes the €35 million ring fenced for mental health. In 2016, it is proposed to advance the NSP 2016 development priorities from additional funding, including: continued development of counselling services across both primary and secondary care including the provision of three new Jigsaw mental health services in Cork, Dublin city centre and Limerick; the continued development of Community Mental Health teams; improved 24/7 response and Liaison Services; Psychiatry of Later Life; Perinatal Mental Health, and two new mental health clinical programmes, specifically ADHD in Adults and Children, and Dual Diagnosis of those with Mental Illness and Substance Misuse.

Some of the proposals for the €35 million in 2016 involve the recruitment of extra staff for new service developments. As staff recruitment takes time, the Service Plan provides that time-related savings of approximately €12 million from this and would be used, on a once-off basis, to maintain services in home care and transitional care beds, and for vaccine procurement. As the initiatives planned for mental health and the other areas identified in the Service Plan are approved, arrangements will be made for the release of funding, having regard to the overall Service Plan requirements.

In line with the provisions of the Service Plan which was agreed and published last December, additional funding for specific initiatives in mental health will be allocated as specific implementation plans are agreed. The Department of Health is examining detailed proposals from the HSE for the redevelopment monies.