Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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675. To ask the Minister for Health the status of the reinstatement of the HSE's national director of mental health as reported in the media (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4226/23]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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676. To ask the Minister for Health if he will report on the immediate steps he is taking with the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to address the UNCRC concerns in relation to children's mental health, including the need for advocacy following the examination by the UNCRC of children's mental health in Ireland on 24 and 25 January 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4227/23]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Programme for Government commits to improving all aspects of Youth Mental Health, including CAMHS, in line with Sharing the Vision, our national mental health policy and with Connecting for Life, our national strategy to reduce suicide. Budget 2023 provided record funding of over €1.2 billion for Mental Health this year, including for enhanced mental health supports to those under age 18. This will be reflected also in the forthcoming HSE Service Plan 2023.

The HSE is a key stakeholder in the implementation of the recommendations of Sharing the Vision and sits on the National Implementation Monitoring Committee for the implementation of the 100 policy recommendations. Good progress is being made on the detailed Implementation Plan 2022 – 2024, overseen by the Committee. HSE National Mental Health Services is committed to further developing an advocacy service that will ensure service users are empowered to lead in their own care. Currently, advocacy services are available to all HSE adult inpatient acute units provided by ‘Peer Advocacy in Mental Health’ (formerly known as the Irish Advocacy Network). While the need for independent advocacy services across CAMHS has been acknowledged for some time, the Maskey review has highlighted the need for improved independent advocacy services to both community teams and inpatient settings nationally.

In conjunction with the HSE, the Youth Advocacy Programme (YAP) provide advocacy in CAMHS services in Galway (inpatient and community) and at the Linn Dara in-patient unit in Dublin. An advocacy service for CAMHS services in Kerry was launched last August. It is planned to roll out CAMHS advocacy services to community and inpatient services in the two remaining CAMHS inpatient units in Cork and North Dublin.

A statutory entitlement to engage with an advocate will also be included as one of the numerous proposed changes for the care and treatment of children in the ongoing update of the Mental Health Act 2001. This is grounded in a rights-based approach, providing young people and their parents with the right to be listened to and consulted in relation to their care, with meaningful participation and engagement that will assist their recovery.

I will consider in detail the emerging or more formal findings of the recent UNCRC meeting, including consultation as appropriate with relevant Ministerial colleagues, the HSE, or other relevant stakeholders.