Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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289. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to involve persons with an experience of mental health difficulties in the design and delivery of services, including peer workers and peer-run services; and the estimated funding required to do this. [12095/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The views of service users are important in the design and delivery of the mental health services. One of the priorities of 'A Vision for Change' when it was published in 2006 was to include service users views in their own care pathways and a recommendation set out in the policy is that 'service users and carers should participate at all levels of the mental health system'.

This high priority is also set out in the 2016 HSE Service Plan which states that the views of service users, family members and carers are central to the design and delivery of mental health services.' The HSE Mental Health Division established a Reference Group in 2014 to make on the structures and mechanism for Service User, Family Member and Carer Engagement. The comprised of nine service users and four family and carer representatives. In line with their Terms of Reference, the group began its work in August 2014 and completed its work in July 2015, making recommendations for promoting widespread and regular engagement and consultation with service users, family members and carers at local and national level. These recommendations have been approved by the National Mental Health Division Management Team for implementation. In January this year the HSE announced the appointment of a Head of Service User, Family Member and Carer Engagement to the HSE National Mental Health Management Team. This post commenced on the 22nd of February 2015 and the holder has responsibility to lead out on the recommendations of the Service User, Family Member and Carer Reference Group.

During 2016 the HSE will complete the establishment of the Office of Service User Engagement and continue the roll out of programmes to support collaboration and partnership with service users, family members and carers. The HSE is also committed to embedding the role of service user, family members and carers at the heart of mental health service delivery nationally and at CHO level.