Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The HSE acknowledges that existing difficulties in recruiting mental health professionals, including Consultant cover, can in certain circumstances impact on accessing services at local level. However, the Executive continues to focus on filling existing vacancies for this specialist care programme. It should be noted that, while difficulties in recruiting and retaining staff pertains generally across the health system, the core problem for Mental Health relates to securing suitably qualified professionals rather than funding availability. In this context, additional funding of €15 million has been provided for 2017, rising to €35 million in a full year to develop mental health in line with implementing A Vision for Change.This reflects a realistic approach to ensuring that both funding and new staff are delivered to best meet the changes required for mental health into the future.

While the HSE may, in certain circumstances, complement its own mental health service by partnership arrangements with private providers, this is on a limited basis. The focus of the Department of Health, and the HSE, for mental health is to deliver the priorities and targets agreed under the HSE Service Plan 2017. Referral of cases to private providers remains an option where HSE cannot, for good operational reasons, meet capacity pressures on the public system at certain times.

Bearing in mind all the circumstances, I am satisfied that the HSE, in partnership as appropriate with non-statutory providers, is maximising the potential to provide the best possible mental health care to both adults and those under age 18. The Department, and the Executive, will continue to address staff recruitment and retention issues, including regular monitoring of access to the HSE service.