Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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852. To ask the Minister for Health the number of additional CAMHTs needed in the Health Service; and the additional cost of staffing these teams on an annual basis. [34472/17]

Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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In January 2006, the Government adopted the Report of the Expert Group on Mental Health Policy A Vision for Change as the basis for the future development of mental health services in Ireland. The recommendations contained within A Vision for Changewere based on Ireland’s then population of 3.917 million, as indicated in the 2002 census. The population of Ireland today, based on the most recent Census figures for 2016, is 4.7 million.

The table outlines the number of Whole Time Equivalent staff numbers working in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) as of April 2017, and the gap in staffing according to A Vision for Changerecommendations adjusted for an increased population. Using an average figure of €66,000 per Whole Time Equivalent, the additional resources required to fill the 583 posts would be €38.5 million per annum.

Since 2012, €140 million in additional funding has been allocated to the Mental Health services. This has increased the total Mental Health Budget from €711 million in 2012 to over €850 million today. The increased investment in mental health services over the last number of years has helped to facilitate an increase in the number and staffing levels of both Adult, and Children & Adolescent Community Mental Health Teams. Of the additional 1,550 new mental health posts approved since 2012, some 1,150 have been, or are in the process of being recruited, notwithstanding the very challenging recruitment environment in which the HSE is operating. The HSE has prioritised the recruitment of staff required for its mental health services.