Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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315. To ask the Minister for Health the planned schedule for implementation of the mental health helpline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49893/17]

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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316. To ask the Minister for Health the services proposed under the planned mental health helpline; the services being considered for referral to the helpline, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49894/17]

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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317. To ask the Minister for Health the planned opening hours of the new mental health helpline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49895/17]

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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318. To ask the Minister for Health the proposed staffing and the expected qualifications of those in place to operate the mental health helpline [49896/17]

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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320. To ask the Minister for Health the expected volume of calls and the methodology of the expected estimated calls to the new mental health helpline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49898/17]

Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 315 to 318, inclusive, and 320 together.

Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People, Jim Daly T.D., has set as a priority the development of a Mental Health Telephone/Text Helpline. Preliminary discussions regarding the feasibility of establishing a Helpline, and the related parameters and resource issues around that, were held on the 7 November. The HSE has agreed to lead this project out, and it has established a working group to perform the necessary scoping work. This group will report back in due course after a full assessment has been made of the infrastructure requirements for successful implementation. Development of the Helpline is still in its early stages and therefore no schedule or deliverable milestones have been finalised at this time. The Minister and Department officials will meet with the HSE again in early 2018 for an update on progress. The date of this meeting is yet to be confirmed.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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319. To ask the Minister for Health if the voluntary sector will be engaged in the new mental health helpline; the discussions which have taken place to date; his plans for future discussions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49897/17]

Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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I have set as a priority the development of a Mental Health Telephone/Text Helpline. Preliminary discussions regarding the feasibility of establishing a Helpline, and the related parameters and resource issues around that, were held on the 7 November. The HSE has agreed to lead this project out, and it has established a working group to perform the necessary scoping work. This group will report back in due course after a full assessment has been made of the infrastructure requirements for successful implementation. Development of the Helpline is still in its early stages and therefore no schedule or deliverable milestones have been finalised at this time. The Minister and Department officials will meet with the HSE again in early 2018 for an update on progress. The date of this meeting is yet to be confirmed.