Mental health provision of €25m ‘a mere sop’

THE provision of an estimated €25 million in mental health spending was described as inadequate and “a mere sop” by the Psychiatric Nurses’ Organisation.

Spokesman Seamus Murphy expressed his disappointment with the gesture by Finance Minister Brian Cowen.

There were also uncertainties about where the money would be spent and if the €25m mentioned in yesterday’s Budget was additional to the €21m provided in the estimates for 2007.