Budget 2015 sees €35m invested in Mental Health services – Neville

Fine Gael Party Chairman and President of the Irish Association of Suicidology, Dan Neville TD has commended the Minister for Health, Leo Varadkar and Minister of State for Health, Kathleen Lynch, after €35 million extra was allocated to mental health care in Budget 2015.

“Over the last three budgets the Government has invested an additional €90 million in mental health. Yesterday a further €35 million was added to this sum, bringing the total investment in mental health by this Government to €125 million.

“Under previous Governments, mental health services had been severely neglected. However, as one in four of us will at some time suffer from a mental health illness, it is essential that we invest in providing care for the people who need it. The funding announced yesterday, and over the past three years, marks a significant step towards addressing this shortfall.

“Funding for mental health services in 2015 will support the development of the service user and carer capacity to participate in the planning and delivery of mental health services. Community mental health teams are central to this Government’s vision for mental health in the future. We want people to be cared for and to receive the support they need in their own community. Community mental health teams will be further developed next year.

“Part of the €35 million funding allocated to mental health in this Budget will go towards mental health promotion and suicide prevention. I reland ranks 4th highest in the EU for deaths by suicide for 15-19 year olds, at 10.5 per 100,000. This is a major issue that needs to be tackled.

“Budget 2015 also saw the announcement of the end of the moratorium on civil service recruitment, this a very positive step. The removal of the moratorium must focus specifically on front line staff in order to benefit people accessing our public health services”.