Services neglect ‘costing lives’

MENTAL health services have been consistently neglected and under-funded at the cost of lives, Fine Gael and Labour said yesterday.

Launching their joint policy on the issue, the parties pledged to substantially increase funding for the services if returned to power.

They accused the Government of failing to implement a key policy report, and said there were not enough community-based services and facilities, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, therapists or nurses.