Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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709. To ask the Minister for Health the number of mental health vacancies across HSE community and inpatient services, disaggregated by health region and by profession. [35431/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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710. To ask the Minister for Health the workforce planning that has been done to estimate the number of additional mental health professionals needed by 2030. [35432/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Health leads on health and social care workforce planning activities, including working in collaboration with the education sector, HSE, regulators, and professional bodies to improve the availability of health professionals across the entire health service. As part of this work, the Department considers the long-term workforce planning needs of the health and social care sector utilising a variety of workforce projections.

Department of Health officials engage on an ongoing basis with colleagues in the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that we train enough graduates with the skills necessary to support the delivery of health and social care services and to develop a strategic approach to workforce planning for the health, disability and education sectors.

Significant progress has been made working with the Higher Education Sector and Professional Bodies to increase the number of student training places to ensure that we have enough healthcare professionals to meet future demand for health services. Further work is underway with DFHERIS and other relevant Government Departments and the Higher Education Authority to increase the number of student places across all health and social care professions.

This government aims to enhance mental health services in local communities and to continue to recruit Mental Health staff both nationally and internationally.

For Health & Social Care Professionals, we need to continue on the recent expansion of this section of the workforce. Recent increases in student places will start to have an effect in the coming years and through enhanced funding and policy focus on areas such as community, mental health and disabilities, we will see a shift towards an integrated care model of care. The Programme for Government commits to doubling the number of college places for speech and language therapists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dieticians, psychologists and social workers.

Sharing the Vision (StV, 2020-2030) is Ireland’s ambitious, multifaceted national mental health policy to enhance the provision of mental health services and supports across a broad continuum from mental health promotion, prevention, early intervention and specialist mental health service delivery during the period 2020-2030.

Implementation of Sharing the Vision is guided by a detailed Implementation Plan, with regular policy implementation progress reports published on the Department of Health website. Implementation of the policy is overseen by an independently-chaired National Implementation and Monitoring Committee. The current Implementation Plan 2025-2027 for Sharing the Vision was published in April 2025.

The government is focused on achieving and maintaining optimum mental health in Ireland. WTE numbers in Mental Health increased by 7% between year-end 2019 and April 2025, with 97% of that increase relating to posts directly involved in patient care. The availability of suitably qualified workforce has been highlighted as a significant challenge at a time when there has been record levels of investment in mental health services with an increase of 43.7% over the lifetime of the last government and totaling almost €1.5 billion in Budget 2025.

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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711. To ask the Minister for Health the average capital and operational cost of establishing a new community mental health hub including premises, equipment, IT and staffing. [35433/25]

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.

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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712. To ask the Minister for Health the estimated cost of establishing one 24-7 mental health crisis responses team per health region, including staffing, vehicles, premises and clinical support. [35434/25]

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.

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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713. To ask the Minister for Health the number and location of existing youth mental health drop-in services such as Jigsaw; and the average cost per centre per year. [35435/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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714. To ask the Minister for Health the capital allocation currently provided under the NDP for mental health infrastructure, and the amount of it that remains unspent or uncommitted. [35443/25]

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.

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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715. To ask the Minister for Health the number of fully staffed CAMHS teams currently operational, per health region; and the number of additional teams that would be required to meet national guidelines, taking the increase in population into account. [35444/25]

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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716. To ask the Minister for Health the estimated cost of hiring the full multidisciplinary CAMHS teams needed to ensure no child waits longer than eight weeks for an initial assessment. [35445/25]

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.

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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717. To ask the Minister for Health the annual operational cost of running a CAMHS inpatient unit; and the capital cost attached to opening a new one. [35446/25]

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.

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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718. To ask the Minister for Health the current number of HSE-funded counselling hours delivered annually in primary care; and the average cost per session. [35447/25]

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.

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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719. To ask the Minister for Health the number of additional therapy hours or sessions that would be deliverable under a €25 million increase in the talk therapy budget. [35448/25]

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.

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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720. To ask the Minister for Health the current waiting times for CIPC and other primary mental health interventions, per health region. [35449/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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721. To ask the Minister for Health the current per capita spend on mental health services in each health region. [35450/25]

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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722. To ask the Minister for Health the counties that currently lack 24-7 crisis mental health cover; and the estimated cost to establish cover in each. [35451/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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723. To ask the Minister for Health the cost benefit analysis conducted by the Department on expanding community based mental health care, as opposed to inpatient models; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35465/25]

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.

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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724. To ask the Minister for Health if any spending evaluation tools have been applied to mental health programmes since 2020; what the outcomes were; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35466/25]

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.

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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725. To ask the Minister for Health the annual budget allocated to digital mental health services; the average cost per user interaction or session; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35467/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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726. To ask the Minister for Health the number of dual diagnosis teams currently in operation, by health region; and the estimated cost of ensuring at least one operational team, per health region. [35468/25]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Dual diagnosis means a person experiences both a substance abuse problem and a mental health issue such as depression or an anxiety disorder.

Treatment options must address both issues, and as such the HSE have developed a Model of Care which recommends the development of 12 Adult Specialist Dual Diagnosis Teams nationally, 4 Adolescent Hub Teams, and a National Dual Diagnosis Rehabilitation Centre. To date investment of over €3 million has resulted in 2 Adult teams and 2 Adolescent teams being operational, with 2 further teams and additional posts funded for 2025.

With reference to the information requested, as this is an operational issue, I have referred it to the HSE for direct reply to you.

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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727. To ask the Minister for Health the average cost of treating individuals with a dual diagnosis in community settings versus inpatient units; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35469/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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728. To ask the Minister for Health if translation and interpretation costs are ringfenced in mental health services for those with limited English; and the average cost per health region for accessible communication supports. [35472/25]

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.