Fine Gael vows to spend €250m a year on mental health servcies

FINE GAEL has promised to increase spending on mental health services to over €250 million a year if returned to power.

It also insisted yesterday that it would provide 24-hour support services for persons who are depressed or suicidal — but the party’s policy document made no mention of how this will be achieved.

Fine Gael spokesman on mental health Dan Neville said the round-the-clock commitment “may not be explicit” in the document but it was an essential part of the party’s strategy.

“If we are serious about reducing suicide, and reducing self-harm, we must have 24-7 service available,” he said.

Party leader Enda Kenny stressed: “When Fine Gael forms the next government, the words ‘we’re closed’ will never be heard by a person who is suicidal or depressed on our watch.” Although he did not mention it, the statement seemed an implicit reference to the recent tragedy in Monageer.

One-in-four Irish people would suffer from some form of mental illness during their lifetime, the party said. But despite this, mental illness did not receive the same attention, investment or resources as physical illness.

In terms of specifics, the party promised to raise the mental health services budget to €251m a year over the five-year term of office.

The party also pledged to immediately double the budget for suicide prevention from €5m to €10m, and increase it to €20m by year five. Multidisciplinary community mental health teams would be put in place, thus reducing the need for inpatient care.

“Early and consistent intervention is the most effective way of helping those experiencing mental illness to recover to manage their personal situation,” the policy stated.

Mr Neville said the party would also close “old, unsuitable Dickensian hospitals” and replace them with modern hospital buildings.

And, to cater for young people, a “comprehensive package” of mental health programmes and counselling services would be provided for all primary and secondary schools.

During the press conference to discuss the policy, Mr Kenny read aloud a letter from a Munster woman suffering from mental illness. He said he had been in “at least 200 kitchens” over the years to console families whose loved ones had committed suicide.

“It’s difficult for me to actually give you the mood of people out there in their hundreds of thousands who suffer from depression and mental illness. No words of mine can express to you the feeling and the depth of what this means to somebody who has to go through it,” he said.