Group demands mental care overhaul

Mental health care is treated like the Cinderella of the Irish health system, campaigners said today.

A coalition of organisations is demanding political parties seeking votes in the forthcoming general election commit now to an overhaul.

Orla Barry, director of Mental Health Reform (MHR), formerly the Irish Mental Health Coalition, urged voters to make outdated mental health care an election issue with candidates ahead of the poll.

“People who are concerned about the poor quality of services available should raise this issue with election candidates – and call on them to commit to reform if elected,” she said.

One in four Irish people experiences mental health problems at some time in their lives, according to MHR.

The coalition said a report commissioned for the Department of Health four years ago – A Vision for Change – was making slow progress in shutting down old Victorian asylums and creating new community-based services.

A commitment in the report to ensure 8% of overall healthcare spending goes towards mental health by 2016 – up from the current 5% – must also be met, they insisted.