Psychiatric association queries funding

THE Irish Psychiatric Association (IPA) has called on the Government to clarify whether the €43 million announced in yesterday’s budget for investment in mental health projects includes money already raised through the sale of psychiatric institutions.

Last night IPA spokesperson Dr Siobhan Barry said it was not clear if the figure included €27m realised from the sale a number of years ago of St Loman’s Hospital in Dublin.

Finance Minister Brian Lenihan announced the €43m as “additional” funding for a multi-annual investment programme in line with the strategy set out in A Vision for Change, the Government blueprint for the development of mental health services. A Vision for Change, published three years ago, called for any funds raised through the sale of former psychiatric hospitals to be ringfenced for reinvestment in mental health. Dr Barry said the commitment had been made before in the Dáil, but was not followed through.