Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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401. To ask the Minister for Health the amount allocated to the mental health budget in each of the years 2015 to 2017; the 2012 funding for mental health; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40751/17]

Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Mental Health Funding

The overall gross non-capital mental health budget for 2012 – 17 is as follows:

*includes €2m transferred from another HSE Directorate

Since 2012, around €140 million has been added to the HSE Mental Health Budget; an increase of around 20% between 2012 and 2017.

Over 1,150 new posts have been recruited over the period 2012-16, including some 270 dedicated to CAMHS, to implement the principles and objectives of A Vision for Change.

Key priorities to be addressed in the HSE 2017 Service Plan include youth mental health, further improvement to child & adolescent (CAMHS) and adult services, older people's services and further enhanced out of hours response for those in need of urgent services.

The Programme for Partnership Government gives a clear commitment to increasing our mental health budget annually, as resources allow, to expand existing services.