James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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450. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide for each year from 2012 to 2016 the increased funding announced for mental health in line with the programme for Government commitment; and the amount of that funding for each calendar year that was actually drawn down or spent on mental health services in each calendar year in tabular form. [31871/16]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The last Government provided additional ring-fenced mental health funding of €160 million over 2012 - 16 inclusive. On a year-by-year basis, however, the HSE mental health budget has also been subject to restrictions which have applied to health expenditure generally, including downward adjustments for public service pay reductions and procurement savings similar to other HSE service areas. In addition, unspent development funds due to recruitment restrictions in 2013 and 2014 were either returned to the Exchequer or used to meet unavoidable costs in other areas. In total, taking account of the various movements, an additional €115 million increase in the Mental Health budget is identified in the HSE Service Plans between 2012 and 2016 inclusive. This is a very significant increase having regard to the constraints on general health spending over the period.

The overall gross non-capital HSE National Service Plan mental health budget for 2012 – 16 is as follows:

In regard to the amounts of funding drawn down and spent in each calendar year, I am referring your question to the HSE who would be better placed to provide detail on service funding matters.