Mental health budget share falls despite expected surge in demand

Under Sláintecare, 10% of the health monies should be allocated to mental health, which was still below international recommendations.

The share of health funding allocated to mental health has fallen despite an expected rise in demand for supports and services in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Figures furnished in the Dáil this week show that while funding has increased since 2012 the mental health allocation was down as a percentage of the overall health budget by around 1%.

More than €1 billion was allocated to mental health services this year, representing 5.2% of overall health funding, including funding for the Covid-19 response. Funding for 2019 was close to €990 million, representing 6.3% of the overall health budget.

In previous years the percentage of funding for mental health ranged from 5.7% to 6.7% of the overall budget.

In response to a parliamentary question, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said mental health funding has increased by 46% or €324 million between 2012 and 2020 and that an additional €50 million was provided in Budget 2021.

Of the additional funding, €23 million will go towards implementing the new mental health strategy, Sharing the Vision, and €15 million will support the mental health response to Covid-19.

The Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA), however, has called out the “extraordinary reduction” in mental health funding since the 1980s when 16% of the overall health budget was earmarked for mental health.

Under Sláintecare, 10% of the health monies should be allocated to mental health, which was still below international recommendations, PNA General Secretary, Peter Hughes, said.

“It is incomprehensible that the mental health share of the overall health budget has actually declined by 1% at a time when demand for services has never been greater and as we face into the implementation of the Sharing the Vision mental health strategy that was launched just a few months ago,” Mr Hughes said.

“We need to see the government and our politicians showing a greater understanding of the inadequacy of our current services, the extent of the growing demands for mental health services at every level, and how these issues need to be addressed urgently through proper funding for mental health."