Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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595. To ask the Minister for Health when negotiations will conclude with the Departments of Children and Youth Affairs, Education and Skills and the Taoiseach concerning the youth mental health pathfinder initiative; when approval to launch same will be granted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18415/19]

Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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The proposal to establish a cross-governmental youth mental health Pathfinder team with participation from the Department of Health, the Department of Education & Skills and the Department of Children & Youth Affairs has Civil Service Management Board and Ministerial approval.

The proposal is to formalise a new model for collaborative working within Government on a statutory footing by utilising section 12 of the Public Service Management Act 1997 . This section of the 1997 Act has never been used before. Various administrative, budgetary, governance and legal arrangements need to be put in place to ensure a robust and workable model for Pathfinder.

The Department of Health has engaged extensively with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, and as a result the participating Departments are considering a number of implementation options that address the above issues.

I am due to meet with Minister Donohoe and his officials on the 29th of this month, I hope to make substantial progress on the matter in the coming months.