Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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593. To ask the Minister for Health the amount of the €5 million allocated to develop mental health services in primary care which was spent in 2016; the number of additional staff who were appointed for mental health services in primary care in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4455/17]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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In 2016, funding of €5 million was allocated to develop mental health services in primary care. As part of this initiative, the HSE submitted a Business Case for the introduction of around 114 Assistant Psychologist posts on a two-year pilot basis across the primary care psychology services. The role of the Assistant Psychologist will be to support services and enhance the service provision and research capacity of qualified Psychologists. Sanction has now been given for this initiative and the recruitment process will begin shortly. This will cost approximately €3.5 million.

In addition, approximately €1.5 million will be used for the recruitment of 20 Staff Grade Psychologists for Children in geographical areas where there are none or inadequate numbers of posts in place. This will provide the necessary clinical governance framework required to oversee stepped care provision by Assistant Psychologists. These posts are currently being recruited.

The balance of this funding will be used to fund the delivery of a computerised cognitive behavioural therapy (cCBT) programme for young people.

These additional posts will provide services to service users under 18 years of age to address those waiting for treatment in the Mental Health and Primary Care Divisions. The online resource will also be developed for adolescents with mild to moderate mental health presentations.

These initiatives are central to the commitment in the 2016 National Service Plan (Mental Health) to continue to develop early intervention and prevention counselling services by mental health and primary care, specifically for young people under 18 years of age.