The Government should spend more money on developing apps and gaming to treat people who are mentally ill.

People with mental health difficulties and their families are still not seeing the improvements envisaged in the national mental health policy — A Vision for Change — more than 13 years ago, a rights group claims.

Opposition leader Micheál Martin is to raise the staffing crisis that has led to the closure to new referrals of a specialist service for children undergoing a mental health crisis in Cork in the context of his party’s confidence and supply arrangement with the Government, which Fine Gael is seeking to extend.

Mental health campaigners have said the latest critical report on the state of services should act as a wake-up call to government.

Mental Health Reform says it is “deeply concerned” that some vulnerable people still live in “mini-institutions” where there is no respect for their privacy or dignity.

I’ve never met Orla Tinsley, for example, but my admiration for her is boundless, writes Fergus Finlay. 

A report by the Taskforce on Youth Mental health is “a failed opportunity”, says Mental Health Reform, because there are no costings.

As the political parties and Independents digest the measures announced in Budget 2018, we bring you their comments and reaction.

Thousands of children are on waiting lists for key psychological appointments, with more than 1,700 children already delayed by more than a year.

People using mental health services feel they have little control over their own lives.

A new report says two thirds of mental health service users living in the community do not know how to make a complaint about their care.

Distressed children do not have guaranteed access to mental health services at two of the country’s busiest emergency departments (EDs) because of a staffing crisis.

The need for 24/7 crisis community-based mental health services was raised with the Mental Health Minister Helen McEntee yesterday when she was handed a petition signed by 12,000 people demanding better services.

Mental health difficulties start to emerge before the age of 25 in 70% of adults suffering from the condition, a leading psychiatrist told the Oireachtas committee on the future of healthcare.

Almost one in five children were admitted to adult psychiatric units last year even though beds were available in the child and adolescent services.

Just under half of the HSE’s community mental health services provide support seven days a week, it has emerged.

Mental health is the biggest single reason given for income protection claims, it has emerged.

Ireland will accept dozens more refugees in the coming weeks ahead of an expected increase in migrants attempting dangerous crossings into Europe.

A series of protests have taken place around the country to protest at cuts to mental health funding.

A national coalition will this evening urge voters in the upcoming general election to make mental health a priority.

This letter is an urgent appeal from 14 organisations who work with children to call on An Taoiseach to show leadership on the issue of child homelessness.

Europe correspondent, Ann Cahill, delivers her weekly briefing on Euro affairs from the European Parliament.

The country’s “bleeding” mental health services are severely under-resourced and significantly under-staffed, making it harder for people to access treatment, according to a new report by Mental Health Reform (MHR).

The implementation of the Government’s mental health policy is “incomplete and uneven”, according to a national organisation which aims to improve mental health services nationwide.

Your editorial (‘Mental health system — Time for a radical overhaul’, March 27) rightly highlights the fact that community mental health teams for children and adolescents are struggling with increased demand.

One in seven children and teenagers referred for mental health treatment are still waiting a year or more to access appropriate services, according to the Children’s Mental Health Coalition.

AN Irish Examiner investigation today reveals the shocking state of mental health in Ireland, with almost half a million people being prescribed drugs for depression or anxiety.

An antidote to the January blues is First Fortnight, Ireland’s only arts festival that discusses mental health and its stigma. 

Health Minister Leo Varadkar has claimed the HSE’s budget plans for next year mean the "battered and bruised" system is finally being nursed back to health, despite fears it will not address chronic waiting list and emergency department problems.

Around €140,000 a year will be paid to the next chief executive of the Rehab Group, a consultant who is reviewing the controversial charity has revealed.

Mental Health Reform has criticised a major acute hospital for leaving patients at risk of suicide in its busy and overcrowded emergency department for hours on end.

Just 4% of the 477 mental health staff promised in 2013 had been recruited by the end of September according to Mental Health Reform (MHR), prompting them to question if next year’s budget allocation will translate into staff on the ground.

AGAINST a backdrop of continuing recession, the mental health of the population of Ireland is under severe strain. (Audio at end of this story)

A mental health campaign group says it is extremely alarmed over reports that the mental health fund is to be cut by €35m to offset the HSE’s budget.

TDs have been issued an end-of-term postcard on the progress made on mental health.

We welcome the Oireachtas Justice Committee initiative under Deputy David Stanton to hear from interested parties on legal capacity prior to publication of this important bill.

The delay in appointing a director for mental health services is because Health Minister James Reilly wants to wait until new legislation has been enacted, his junior minister has said.

Just three of the 64 in-patient mental health facilities — less than 5% — in the country are fully compliant with all regulations, according to a report from the mental health watchdog.

Emerging figures from a nationwide survey of psychiatric nurses points to a retirement rate of at least 10% across a 4,000-strong membership of full-time nurses affiliated to the Psychiatric Nurses Association.

Lives are being lost on a daily basis due to under-funding and under-staffing in the mental health services, the head of Kerry’s Psychiatric Nurses Association has warned.

Mental health campaigners have said “a lot of ground needs to be made up” if the Government’s mental health policy, A Vision for Change, is to be implemented by 2016.