FG and Labour to unveil joint mental health policy

Fine Gael and Labour will tomorrow unveil a new joint policy on mental health for the next election.

The document will be the first in a series of policies on the health services to be announced by the two parties in the months ahead.

The new policy document will be unveiled in Mullingar, Co Westmeath tomorrow by the leaders of the two "alternative government" parties, Enda Kenny and Pat Rabbitte.

The Mullingar event appears to be timed to upstage the two-day Fianna Fáil "think-in" in Westport, Co Mayo, designed by the Government to raise its profile in advance of next year's general election.

The joint policy document is expected to propose measures aimed at enhancing mental health services in the community, decreasing the rate of suicide and improving governance.

Earlier this year both parties signed up to a report by the Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children which proposed measures to reduce suicide rates in Ireland by 20 per cent by 2016.

A month ago Fine Gael criticised the Government over its failure to implement key elements of the blueprint for mental health services, "Planning for the Future", which was adopted as official policy more than 20 years ago.

This policy included the introduction of fully-staffed multi-professional teams to deliver mental health services, a significant shift in emphasis towards care in the community and the phased closure of large, stand-alone hospitals.

Meanwhile, Fine Gael and Labour yesterday said that a joint policy on crime and justice was still a work in progress and that a final document would be published over the coming months.

The Sunday Times reported yesterday that, if elected, Fine Gael and Labour planned to scrap the Government's recently-appointed Garda Inspectorate and replace it with a powerful and independent Garda Authority.

The inspectorate, which was established by the Government in the summer, is headed by the former Boston police commissioner Kathleen O'Toole. The other inspectors are Robert Olson, former chief of police in Minneapolis, and Gwen Boniface, commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police, who were appointed following a public competition which attracted 67 candidates.

The inspectorate's first task will be to review all operational and administrative aspects of the Garda, identify strengths and weakness and recommend improvements .

It was reported yesterday that the proposed Garda Authority would be independent of government and would have a role in shaping policing strategy and policy in consultation with the Garda Commissioner. It would be modelled on similar authorities in the UK.

A Labour spokesman said joint policy on justice was not yet complete. He would not comment on "speculative reports". Fine Gael said work was continuing on the justice and crime document.