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Minister of State Lynch welcomes provision of €20m ringfenced for mental health in Budget 2014
Kathleen Lynch TD Minister of State with responsibility for Disability, Equality, Mental Health & Older People today (15th October 2013) welcomed the provision of a further €20m in Budget 2014 for mental health services
Speaking today the Minister said “Today’s announcement is in line with a commitment in the Programme for Government to accelerate the pace of change to develop a modern, patient-centred, and recovery orientated mental health service. The implementation of A Vision for Change remains a priority for the Government, particularly in light of the increasing demands being placed on these services and changing public awareness on mental health generally. We are committed, in particular, to reforming our model of delivery so that more and better quality mental health care is delivered in the community. This €20m ringfenced in Budget 2014 for Mental Health means that, despite serious resource pressures overall, funding of €90m has been made available up to end 2014 since I took office, that has been specifically ear-marked for mental health and suicide prevention.”
The €20m ringfenced in 2014 will enable the HSE to continue to develop and modernise our mental health services in line with the recommendations of A Vision for Change and will allow for the recruitment of additional staff to further enhance our –
· Adult Community Mental Health Teams
· Child and Adolescent Mental Health Teams
· Specialist Community Mental Health Teams
In addition, this funding will facilitate the recruitment of additional Resource Officers for Suicide Prevention and the implementation of national suicide prevention initiatives.
The Minister continued “Over the last two years, we have made significant progress in developing a modern mental health service which means that, in the main, people are now treated in the community and the reliance on institutional care is diminishing.
The €70m provided over the last two Budgets together with this investment of €20m will significantly make a real difference to some of the most vulnerable in our society.