Minister for Mental Health and Government Chief Whip, Mary Butler T.D., launched the Implementation Plan 2025 - 2027 for Sharing the Vision: A Mental Health Policy for Everyone at the second National Mental Health Policy Conference in Dublin Castle on Wednesday 9 April 2025.
Following Minister Butler’s opening address Ms Catherine Brogan, Chair of the National Implementation and Monitoring Committee (NIMC), gave the welcome address.
Keynote speakers for the conference included:
- Dr. Michelle Funk, Unit Head of the WHO Policy, Law and Human Rights team in the Department of Mental Health and Substance Use, who spoke about the WHO guidance on mental health policy & strategic action plans.
Professor Barbara Dooley, National and International Expert in Youth Mental Health and co-author of The Lancet Psychiatry Commission spoke on youth mental health in Ireland.
Mr Gary Kiernan, Director of Regulation, Mental Health Commission presented on the Human rights-based approach to mental health in the context of the New Mental Health Bill.
There were also three panel discussions on the day;
- Mental Health Policy Implementation and impacts on service delivery, quality and patient safety
- The Centrality of Lived Experience in Policy Implementation
- Achievements and Opportunities moving into next Implementation Phase for Sharing the Vision.
An overview of the Sharing the Vision Implementation Plan 2025-2027 was provided by Prof Philip Dodd, Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Mental Health Policy Specialist, Department of Health and Mr Derek Chambers, General Manager of Policy Implementation, HSE Mental Health.
Attendees were made up of a wide array of stakeholders working across of mental health policy implementation, service development, advocacy, and service delivery and included representation from the National Implementation and Monitoring Committee and lived experience representatives who are collectively responsible for driving and overseeing the long-term implementation of the policy.
Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Normal Foley T.D. closed the day’s proceedings.
The 2nd Implementation Plan can be viewed on the Department of Health’s Website here.