merrion street

Ms Kathleen Lynch T.D., Minister for Disability, Equality, Mental Health & Older People today (Wednesday 4^th April 2012) welcomed the publication of the Mental Health Commission Annual Report for 2011 which includes the Report of the Inspector of Mental Health Services.

The Mental Health Commission’s function is to promote, encourage and foster the establishment and maintenance of high standards and good practices in the delivery of mental health services.

Referring to the Report the Minister said: "A number of encouraging developments have taken place during 2011 reflecting the continuing efforts to improve our mental health services including the continuing winding down of the old mental hospitals, the active involvement of service users in their care and treatment plans and the decrease in 2010 and again in 2011 in the number of child admissions to adult units. The Minister continued "We now have additional Child and Adolescent Beds in Cork, Dublin and Galway. These beds, together with the Commission’s Code of Practice on the Admission of Children under the Mental Health Act, 2001, which prohibits the admission of young people under 18 years to adult units from 1st December, 2011 (except in very exceptional circumstances) will greatly reduce and ultimately eliminate the inappropriate admission of children and young people to adult services."The Minister said "This Government is fully committed to reforming our model of healthcare delivery so that more and better quality care is delivered in the community. A special allocation of €35m for mental health was provided in Budget 2012 in line with the Programme for Government commitments. Funding from this special allocation will be used primarily to strengthen Community Mental Health Teams in both Adult and Children’s mental health services. High standards in services, facilities and in in-patient care must be the norm without exception. I want to see mental health services that are recovery oriented and that put service users, their families and carers at the centre."

The Minister commended the Mental Health Commission for their continued commitment to the development and improvement of mental health services.