John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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521. To ask the Minister for Health if, based on current individual emergency department data, a target has been set for each emergency departments to reduce the proportion of persons leaving prior to assessment as recommended by the national clinical programme for the assessment and management of persons presenting to emergency departments following self harm; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16295/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The National Clinical Care Programme for management of self-harm presentations to Emergency Departments is a part of the National Clinical Programme for Mental Health. This programme specifically addresses the care and treatment required by people who present to the Emergency Departments (ED) of acute hospitals following an episode of self-harm or with prominent suicidal ideation. It aims to provide a standardised specialist response to all such people and, by so doing, reduce the numbers leaving Emergency Departments without an assessment, link people into appropriate care, involve families and friends as appropriate with an overall aim of reducing repetition which is known to be associated with an increased risk of completed suicide. The continuation of this programme is identified as a priority in the HSE National Service Plan 2017.

In relation to targets set within each ED to reduce the proportion of persons leaving prior to assessment, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.