I thank the Deputy for this important question. I welcome the opportunity to highlight this important initiative, which is being led by our colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins, her Department, and HSE disability services. The single point of access will create an integrated approach across disability services, primary care and mental health to strengthen collaboration and to deliver more consistent and equitable access for children and their families. The CEO of the HSE, Mr. Bernard Gloster, has directed that the single point of access will streamline the process for GPs in referring children with a therapeutic need to primary care, disability and mental health services. What this means in real terms is that the GP will only be able to refer the child to one of those services whereas previously they may have been referred to all three. This approach will ensure the most appropriate service - primary care, disability or mental health - takes ownership of the care of the child, and facilitates input from one or both of the other two services if needed. It does not mean people are only going to have access to one service but that one service will take the lead on it. For example, when an autistic child is accepted into the care of a community disability network team but they also have a moderate to severe mental health disability or difficulty, CAMHS should also provide a therapeutic input into that child’s care. This is known as shared care. We have to get better at integrating care in this way. Too many cases are falling between the cracks in our system because the services are not working together. A national implementation group is in place within the HSE. Health regions have established their own regional steering groups, which are responsible for developing local implementation plans and delivering this reform to simplify access to care for children and their families. These local implementation plans were signed off by the CEO in December. The single point of access is a key commitment of the HSE in its national service plan for 2026.
Sentiment score: 0.39
To expand on the point I was making, I have adopted a youth mental health strategy which started two years ago. It is called the "no wrong door" approach. It connects young people who have a mental health difficulty with the most appropriate level of care to match that young person's needs. Referrals to CAMHS are up 48% in the past five years. We know that many young people could be treated earlier and more effectively. We are triaging it in three areas: north County Dublin, the Inishowen Peninsula and Galway. The one in north County Dublin is led out by Mellany McLoone, the integrated health area lead. She has been doing this for two years. When a child is referred by a GP, they are triaged. They look to see if the child might be better served with Foróige or a family resource centre such as Jigsaw, or a similar service like Mindspace Mayo, primary care psychology or maybe CAMHS. However, the most important thing is that a doorway will be found. Every parent who brings their child to the doctor wants a doorway.
Sentiment score: 0.12
If the Deputy wants to send on that case, I will have it looked at again. There are situations where there are challenges with CAMHS and children with another diagnosis. In order to be accepted into CAMHS, there has to be a primary diagnosis of a mental health challenge. We have to get better at doing shared care and that is the whole purpose of having this new single point of access. Bernard Gloster of the HSE has been adamant that this has to be rolled out across all areas by the end of this year. That is why a national implementation group is in place to oversee this development. We have been leading out on mental health. We launched a document during the summer of last year about shared care because parents get extremely frustrated when they are sent from one team to another and they are not accepted within either team. I suppose "shared care" is the new buzz word we are really looking at. When a child who is accepted into a community disability network team needs mental health supports as well, that has to be facilitated.
Sentiment score: 0.28
I thank the Deputy for his question. I am really ambitious for transforming the mental health capital estate over the next three, five and ten years. I currently finalising a ten-year capital plan for mental health, which will guide our investment programme in mental health infrastructure. This plan is backed up by national development plan funding of up to €500 million for the next five years to the end of 2030. I am working with each of the regional executive officers, REOs, the national mental health office and the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, to ensure we grasp this opportunity to embark on a capital programme that will see record levels of investment. We will be investing in acute facilities, which the Deputy just referenced, community facilities, community residences and national priorities including additional adult eating disorder beds and the first perinatal mother and baby mental health unit on the island of Ireland. The HSE capital plan for 2026 is being finalised and will be announced in the coming weeks. I will then also publish the longer-term vision for capital projects in mental health. I am not in a position to be able to update the Deputy in relation to that. As I said, we are working on finalising the capital plan. All details in relation to any new developments will become apparent there. However, one of the areas I will be specifically focusing on is the Mental Health Bill 2024, which is currently going through the Dáil, and for which I will be in the Seanad later today. There is going to be a change in relation to community residences for those with enduring mental health conditions who live in communities. We will have new governance and oversight in relation to those facilities. I will be putting a focus on them in the capital plan, but also with regard to areas that do not have any mental health inpatient beds. There are specific areas. We will look at maybe providing a crisis house in those particular areas. We will have news in the next few weeks. I hope the Deputy understands why I am not able to give that detail this morning.
Sentiment score: 0.07
As I said, the national capital plan for mental health is being finalised. The Deputy could ask me the exact same question about Waterford, where I am from, because we are in the exact same predicament as Cavan. He could ask me about the Jonathan Swift Clinic, the Lakeview unit in Kildare, Roscommon, the Mater Hospital or the St. Michael's unit in Cork. There is a myriad of various capital plans that are under consideration at the moment. I am not going to pre-empt the capital plan. I am not going to pre-empt it for my own area or any area. Suffice to say, however, that a huge amount of work is being done. Additional funding has been secured. It is the most funding ever in relation to capital infrastructure for mental health. I want to see many facilities being rolled out in parallel with each other the length and breadth of the country. I am very keen to address postcode lottery issues and geographical issues. Regardless of where people live in the country, they should be entitled to the best facilities possible if they have a mental health condition.
Sentiment score: 0.18
The Deputy is quoting from the capital plan from 2025. I am currently finalising the capital plan for mental health for 2026. It will be published very soon, and the Deputy will see the details. Once a proposal is on the capital plan, it is not going to be removed from the capital plan. I am not in a position-----
Sentiment score: 0.00
It is not a question-and-answer session. I am not in a position to give the Deputy that information at the moment.
Sentiment score: 0.00
On 1 September last year - I say this every opportunity I get - I launched free counselling supports for men across the country. Four out of every five suicides in Ireland are men, notwithstanding that we have seen a reduction in the numbers, thankfully. Every single suicide has a profound impact on people. That particular mother lost her son. I speak every chance I get about yourmentalhealth.ie/men and free counselling supports. Men can refer themselves to it. If all Deputies' constituency offices could share that news and that website, it would be very helpful.
Sentiment score: 0.24