Question to the Minister for Health (Dr. James Reilly, TD)
To ask the Minister for Health if he will furnish details on expenditure on mental health, including A Vision for Change, in 2011, 2012 and 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter- Jerry Buttimer.
For WRITTEN response on Tuesday, 28th January, 2014
REPLY
Details of the overall gross non-capital mental health budget are published annually in the Revised Book of Estimates. Based on that information, the table below details the mental health budget for each of the years 2011 – 2013 inclusive:
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
|---|---|---|
| €712 million | €711 million | €737 million |
The estimated provision for mental health in 2014 is €766 million. This figure includes the additional funding of €90 million that has been provided for the development of mental health services in line with A Vision for Change since 2012.In addition, about 1 in 4 people experience mental health problems in their lifetime, many of whom will be dealt with in primary care. It is estimated that approximately 90% of mental health problems are dealt with in primary care and some 30% of people who attend primary care have a mental health problem and expenditure on these services is not captured in the health budgets detailed above.