John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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103. To ask the Minister for Health the funding being provided in Budget 2021 for Sharing the Vision, the new national mental health policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33456/20]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Budget 2021 saw an additional €50 million allocated to Mental Health Services, bringing the total 2021 mental health budget to €1.076 billion, the largest mental health budget on record. This emphasises the Government’s continued commitment to mental health and the priority it deserves in these unsettling times.

The additional allocation includes €23 million which will be used to used to commence implementation of many of the short-term recommendations of the Sharing the Visionmental health policy. This includes establishing the new structures required to implement the policy, and the expansion of the clinical care programmes in Dual Diagnosis, Early Intervention in psychosis, and Mental Health and Intellectual Disability. It will also fund additional mental health beds, enhanced Community Mental Health Teams, CAMHS Hubs/Teams, Adult Crisis Resolution Services, increased supports in employment, Peer Support Workers, Bereavement Co-ordinators, and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy.

Launched in June 2020, Sharing the Visionpromotes equitable access to quality, safe mental health care for all citizens. The policy aim is that service users and their families, carers and supporters will have timely access to evidence-informed mental health services. Tailored measures will be put in place to ensure that individuals with complex mental health difficulties can avail of services across the State without discrimination. This builds on the intent of A Vision for Changeand Sláintecare and is intended to be implemented over a ten-year period.

A National Implementation and Monitoring Committee has been established to drive the policy's implementation and a chair and membership from a wide range of stakeholders will be selected in the coming weeks.