Budget 2021 allocation to mental health deemed 'totally inadequate'

The Psychiatric Nurses Association said the allocation of €50 million to mental health in reality represented an extra €38 million with €12 million earmarked to support existing levels of services. File image

The budgetary allocation of €50 million for mental health is just 1% of the overall health budget for 2021 and is “totally inadequate” to meet the growing demand for services and support a new mental health strategy, the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) has said.

The PNA has rounded on government for failing to properly fund the new Sharing the Vision mental health strategy or provide enough funding to meet the mounting level of demand for mental health services in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) has strongly criticised the Budget allocation for mental health services as inadequate to properly fund the Government’s mental health strategy or to meet the mounting level of demand for mental health services. @nasra_sallins

— PNA (@PNA_IRL) October 14, 2020

Tuesday’s record budget announcement saw €22 billion being allocated to support health services next year and to deal with additional challenges posed by Covid-19.

The PNA said the allocation of €50 million to mental health in reality represented an extra €38 million with €12 million earmarked to support existing levels of services.

“As part of the much-trumpeted €4 billion extra spending announced for the health services, the allocation of €38 million to mental health services amounts to roughly 1% of this overall Budget increase,” PNA General Secretary Peter Hughes said.

This failed opportunity to significantly increase funding for mental health services shows yet again the lack of understanding by our politicians of the inadequacy of our current services or the extent of the growing demands for mental health services at every level.

“The Budget allocation appears to totally ignore the added demand on mental health services at all levels which it is widely accepted will be one of the unfortunate legacies of the Covid -19 crisis. 

"Meeting these demands will pose significant extra challenges to our already underfunded and understaffed mental health services."

Funding for mental health as a percentage of the overall health budget, he said, has fallen from 16% during the 1980s to 6% in 2020 and the 2021 allocation represents a continued under-investment in mental health services.

“It seems we are again planning for under-investment in mental health services where Sláintecare recommends 10% of the health budget should go to mental health services while international best practice recommends up to 16%,” Mr Hughes said.

“While the Government’s ‘Sharing the Vision’ strategy was launched earlier this year, there is grave concern among stakeholders in the mental health services that the strategy will not be supported with the necessary funding.”