Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently not in a position to answer PQs due to industrial action. It is hoped that normal services will resume soon. In the meantime, this Department will continue to refer PQs to HSE for their direct reply as soon as possible.

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.

As the Deputy may be aware, management and administrative grade staff in the Fórsa union in the HSE commenced industrial action on Friday, 6 October. As a consequence of this industrial action, members in these grades are not engaging with political forums or processes. As a result, the question asked by the Deputy may be delayed in receiving a response directly from the HSE.

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Traveller Health Action Plan was launched in November 2022. The Department of Health and the HSE are committed to developing priorities, strategies and actions on Traveller mental health within the framework of the National Traveller Health Action Plan. These will respond to acknowledged needs in Traveller mental health and address the social determinants of Traveller mental health through targeted and mainstreaming measures. The Action Plan is a landmark document that recognises the right of Travellers to the highest attainable standard of health as is the norm in Irish society. It includes both mental and physical health, which are intricately linked.

As a first step, the Traveller Health Action Plan contains of six actions on Traveller mental health. These are being delivered through the HSE national service plan for 2023, supported by an additional ring-fenced budget of €300,000. This will enable the employment of 7 community support workers within the Traveller projects to focus on engaging the community with existing mental health supports, identifying gaps and consulting on future service developments. The actions reflect the priority status of Travellers in the Government mental health policies - Sharing the Vision and Connecting for Life, and will be reported upon as part of the Sharing the Vision Implementation Plan 2022 - 2024. Progress will also be monitored under the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy.

The Department and the HSE will also engage with the Traveller community to further develop and expand the actions as part of a mental health priority plan, within the framework of the Traveller health action plan. The newly established HSE steering group on Traveller mental health will consult with Traveller organisations and representatives on this task. Traveller representatives have also been invited to be part of the group.

I welcome the increased focus in the area of Traveller mental health and I look forward to the progression of this workstream. Budget 2024 provided new funding to enhance Suicide Prevention and Postvention Services through the expansion of Suicide Bereavement Liaison Service; and for the Traveller Counselling Service, which will have national coverage for the first time. The details of this are the subject of on-going discussions in the context of agreeing the the HSE Service Plan overall for next year, including for Mental Health.