Campaigners to protest at Dáil over mental health funding

Mental health campaigners are to protest outside the Dáil on Thursday against the diversion of funds from mental health to other areas in the Health Service Executive.

The Union of Students in Ireland and Mental Health Reform, which are organising the protest, claim the proposed diversion of €12 million away from the sector will cause "irreversible" damage.

Some €35 million was supposedly ringfenced for new developments in mental health in the last budget but €12 million of this is now being used in other areas of the health service, despite opposition from Minister of State with responsibility for mental health Kathleen Lynch

Minister for Health Leo Varadkar told the Dáil this week mental health services had benefited more from spending than other parts of the health service from spending increases under the outgoing Government.

It also accounted for the largest increase in percentage terms of any service area in 2016.

Mr Varadkar said about 1,550 new posts were approved for mental health services since 2012, although he admitted “some posts” were lost during this time due to retirements and normal attrition.

Shari McDaid, director of Mental Health Reform, called for effective action to ensure mental health is a priority for the next government.

“Mental health difficulties touch people of all ages and backgrounds, and Ireland’s rate of suicide is still worryingly high. Politicians need to realise that mental health is an important issue for hundreds of thousands of people in Ireland and deliver on their long-standing promises.”