Minister for Health Mary Harney has acknowledged that areas of the State's mental health services are of "continued concern" following the publication of another highly critical report by the Inspectorate of Mental Health Services.
Ms Harney was speaking at an event to mark the publication of the Mental Health Commission's Annual Report for 2005 - which includes the Report of the Inspector of Mental Health Services.
Tánaiste Mary Harney
Ms Harney said the commission and inspectorate had made an important contribution to the continued improvement of services for people with mental illness since their establishment in 2002.
She acknowledged that a number of areas that are of "continued concern" in mental health services, "namely the standard of long stay accommodation for people with severe and enduring illness".
She said these areas had been given a "central focus" in the Vision for Changereport by the Expert Group on Mental Health Services published in January.
Ms Harney said there would be "very significant" costs associated with the transformation of services and that this would be funded by the sale of lands owned by the psychiatric hospitals.
"The Health Service Executive (HSE) has been asked to identify, as a matter of urgency, lands which could be disposed of in order to continue this process."
Minister of State at the Department of Health Tim O'Malley has set up an independent monitoring group to oversee the progress of the implementation of the recommendations in A Vision for Change, Ms Harney said.
"This year we are investing an additional €26.2 million in mental health services, bringing the annual expenditure on mental health services to over €800 million."
Ms Harney said all remaining provisions of the Mental Health Act 2001 will operate from November 1st next.
All people admitted involuntarily to the mental health services will be entitled to an independent review by a mental health tribunal, under the new law.
"The introduction of mental health tribunals to review all involuntary admissions represents an important step in the protection of the interests of people who suffer from mental disorders,"
the Minister
said.