Varadkar accused of raiding this year’s budget for mental health

Health Minister Leo Varadkar has been accused of raiding this year’s mental health budget to fund other services after admitting in the Dáil that funds for new psychiatric nurses will now be spent elsewhere.

Fianna Fáil health spokesman Billy Kelleher made the claim after Mr Varadkar confirmed the move during a health debate. It was first alleged by his outgoing junior minister, Kathleen Lynch.

During a Dáil speech on Wednesday, Mr Varadkar confirmed an estimated €12m of the ringfenced €35m budget for mental health this year would instead be spent on home-help and other areas. He said this was because unexpected delays in recruiting the extra nurses have occurred, meaning the money can be spent elsewhere now, with the full funding for the new nurses taken from next year’s health budget.