Ministers announce additional investment of €10 million to support the development of core mental health services
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From: Department of Health
- Published on: 16 January 2024
- Last updated on: 22 January 2024
- Minister Donnelly and Minister Butler highlighted the need for continued investment in youth mental health, with a focus on ensuring that young people and their families have access to the supports that they need
- ‘no health without mental health’ theme exemplifies the shared focus of senior leaders, policymakers and service providers on mental health promotion, early intervention and recovery
Today, the Sharing the Vision - National Mental Health Conference took place at Dublin Castle. The Conference provided an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss developments in national mental health policy and delivery, and to review how Sharing the Vision is driving the delivery of a modern, patient-centered mental health service which is focused on best practice, innovative service development, and improved service delivery. The Conference was convened and opened by Minister for Mental Health and Older People Mary Butler with contributions from Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly.
Speaking at the event, Minister Donnelly emphasised the need for continued investment in mental health services, across the spectrum of prevention and early intervention, through to acute specialist services:
"Today’s event has further highlighted the core issue that mental health challenges can impact on anyone, at any stage of life. The central theme that there is ‘no health, without mental health’ exemplifies the need to ensure that mental health services, and modern, person-centred, and accessible to everyone."
Opening the Conference, Minister Butler said:
"Over the lifetime of this government, investment in mental health services has grown to €1.3 billion. Today’s announcement of a further €10 million to support the clinical programmes and youth mental health, further highlights the government’s recognition of mental health as a central component to overall health. I look forward to working with colleagues in my department and the HSE to identify service improvements and innovations that can be underpinned and delivered through this funding."
The Conference, organised by the Department of Health with the support of the Health Service Executive (HSE), marks the end of the first phase of implementation of the national mental health policy, and provides an opportunity to reflect on the successes and challenges over the last three years.
Today’s event included a specific focus on lived experience and recovery, and the positive benefits of embedding lived experience in policy implementation and service development. Minister Butler stated:
"Ensuring that the voice of patients, and lived experience is embedded in mental health services and policy implementation is so important. Mental health services should not be developed in a vacuum, and only by ensuring that the voice of those who use services, and those who have experienced mental health difficulties and have experienced recovery, should always be taken into account. Only by doing so can we ensure that our policies and services are modern, and person-centred. In 2023, 19,000 people accessed Mental Health Recovery Colleges across Ireland. These colleges have been developed with the voice of those at the very heart of its model, those that are receiving support from these services. The success of these colleges further exemplifies how listening to the lived experience, can positively impact on health services."