Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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363. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide a breakdown of the €4 million for improving regulatory compliance in mental health in-patient services in alignment with Mental Health Commission regulations, which was announced in the health budget press conference; the way that the funding will be spent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2322/23]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Budget 2023 contained a €4 million allocation for minor works to improve regulatory compliance in mental health in-patient services in alignment with Mental Health Commission regulations. 

As happens each year following the Budget, detailed discussions are progressing between the Department and HSE to improve Mental Health care arising from Budget 2023 and in the context of preparing the HSE National Service Plan (NSP) for 2023. Further detail in relation to this allocation will be agreed as part of the finalisation of the NSP.

Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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364. To ask the Minister for Health when the Government’s attention was drawn to the concerns raised in the interim report into CAMHS by the Mental Health Commission. [4643/23]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Mental Health Commission published the Interim Report into CAMHS on 23 January last.  

The Commission notified me and the Department in advance of its intention to publish the Interim Report and, and upon receipt of the report on 5th January, provided 10 working days to consider the report. This is the normal advance notification accorded to the Department for reports by the Commission. As 10 working days would have resulted in publication of the report on a Friday, the Department requested that the report be held to the following Monday, to ensure that patients and their families had access to the helpline set up by the HSE, and that they would be able to contact their GPs or relevant CAMHS teams should they have any concerns. This slight delay was therefore taken in the best interest of service users and their families, and with the full support of the Commission and the HSE.

As I have indicated on several occasions recently, I supported the Commission in carrying out their annual thematic report into CAMHS, including the offer of any additional resources required for this. I welcome the Mental Health Commission’s Interim Report, and I especially welcome the focus around service quality and patient safety.  I await both the Commission’s Final Report on CAMHS and the completion of the audits now underway by the HSE arising from the Maskey report. Together, these reports will provide robust information to support the improvement of crucial services for children and adolescents across the country experiencing mental health difficulties. The HSE has confirmed to the Department of Health that the issues raised in the Mental Health Commission’s Interim Report are being proactively acted on at national level, to mitigate against risk throughout the system as a whole, and beyond the CHOs reviewed to date.