Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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181. To ask the Minister for Health the status of the €35 million allocated to mental health as outlined in budget 2018; the amount has been spent; the way in which the money has been spent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27233/18]

Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Budget 2018 made allowance for an additional €35 million for mental health services, bringing the total HSE Mental Health Budget to €910 million. This represents an increase of over €200 million since 2012.

€30.7 million has been allocated to the HSE so far in 2018, with the remaining €4.3 million to be allocated in September 2018.

This increase has funded improved Mental Health Nurse training, enhanced drug treatment options for Mental Health service users, enhanced access to counselling and talk therapies, improvements to the mental health physical infrastructure and an increase in specialist rehab services. It has also helped to facilitate improved 7-day-a-week Mental Health services, improvements to Eating Disorder and Perinatal Mental Health services, an increase in Psychiatric Nurse undergraduate places and the introduction of Advanced Nurse practitioners.