646. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Health whether an assessment has been undertaken of the additional community and outreach mental-health capacity required before the Mental Health Act 2026 is commenced, particularly for people experiencing homelessness who may not access emergency departments or conventional mental-health services; the additional funding sought for this purpose in the 2027 Estimates; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67066/26]

The improvement and enhancement of mental health services for people experiencing homelessness is a key priority under our national mental health policy, Sharing the Vision: A Mental Health Policy for Everyone (2020-2030). This is aligned with one of the central policy objectives of the current Implementation Plan (2025-2027), namely the meaningful involvement of service users, families, carers and supporters in the design, delivery and evaluation of mental health services at all levels, in line with the principles of co-production.

In particular, the key aim for the current Implementation Plan, led by HSE Mental Health in coordination with Social Inclusion and Primary Care, is to develop a guidance document on integrated mental health service provision for people experiencing homelessness. As part of this process, a mapping of current service provision was completed. As of the most recently published update in May 2026, a working group has now begun drafting the guidelines, which includes a person with lived experience of homelessness and mental health difficulties. Discussions have also taken place to conduct an international best practice review of mental health supports for people experiencing homelessness. Regular policy implementation reports on all 100 policy recommendations are published on the Sharing the Vision National Implementation and Monitoring Committee webpage on the Department of Health website.

The Mental Health Act 2026 was signed into law by the President on 7 May 2026, following years of drafting, consultation, and debate. The Act is the largest overhaul of mental health legislation in a generation and will introduce a more person-centred approach to mental health service delivery. Such a significant legislative change will require change across all mental health services and will require sufficient lead-in time to ensure that the transition to the new Act is a success.

As such, the commencement of the Mental Health Act 2026 will be delivered through a phased, structured implementation programme, given the scale of reform, the system-wide impacts, and the need to ensure service readiness across the HSE, the Mental Health Commission (MHC), and wider stakeholders.

Both the Minister for Mental Health and the Department of Health are closely engaging with the Mental Health Commission regarding commencement of the Act.

Secondary legislation will be required to underpin the operation of the Mental Health Act 2026. As per the Act, the Minister is responsible for the preparation of secondary legislation generally under the Act, and the MHC has responsibility for the preparation of secondary legislation in certain areas, such as the regulation of restrictive practices. Preparatory work is now underway regarding the preparation of secondary legislation in both the Department and the MHC.

An internal oversight group has been established within the Department to progress the Act towards commencement. The role of the group is to develop appropriate project planning, governance and delivery structures including ongoing stakeholder consultation and the identification of the funding requirements to support enactment under the Estimates process.