€10m allocated for pandemic mental health supports has not yet been spent

Mental Health Reform is calling for the government to prioritise investment in mental health, to address the increased demand for mental health services arising from the pandemic. File photo

Some €10m allocated in February to address the mental health impacts of Covid-19 has not yet been spent.

Mental Health Reform (MHR), the national coalition for mental health, has warned that this funding must be kept separate from “whatever is in the mental health envelope in Budget 2022”.

“The €10m announced in February 2021 for the mental health impacts of Covid-19 has not yet been spent. This funding must be ring-fenced and the proposed initiatives in place by the end of this year. All announcements in Budget 2022 should be surplus to the €10m,” said Fiona Coyle, CEO of MHR, before the Joint Committee on Health and the Oireachtas Sub-Committee on Mental Health today.

The government and HSE are still working to identify and develop proposals for how the designated €10m should be spent, and has said it envisages initiatives will be starting in the last quarter of this year.

“We would be concerned that this €10m for Covid initiatives should be progressed separately to whatever other measures that are coming forward in Budget 2022,” said Ber Grogan, MHR Policy and Advocacy Coordinator.

Covid exposed system's inadequacies

MHR is calling for the government to prioritise investment in mental health, to address the increased demand for mental health services arising from the pandemic.

“Covid-19 has laid bare the inadequacies of our mental health system. The Government must increase spending on mental health from 5.1% to 10% of the total health budget,” said Ms Coyle.

Sláintecare recommends spending 10% of the total health budget on mental health. The World Health Organisation recommends 12%, while in the UK mental health spending is 13% of the total health budget.

In its pre-Budget submission, MHR is seeking an additional investment of €85m towards mental health; €20m to maintain existing services and €65m to develop new services, drive change in the system, and deal with current challenges.

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One recommendation for such change in the system is the designation of a mental health lead within the HSE. A previous position of Director of Mental Health Services did exist, but was lost in 2016.

“Effective leadership will be key to rebuilding our mental health services. For that reason, we strongly believe that a dedicated lead for mental health needs to be created within the HSE,” said Ms Coyle.

“There is a need for that senior level of leadership to bring about change, and we’re really calling for that position to be created immediately. It would speak to a HSE that is taking parity between mental and physical health seriously,” she added.

Cross-departmental projects

Another key change suggested before the Joint Oireachtas Committee is to introduce more cross-departmental mental health projects, incentivised with joint funding.

“The Covid experience has demonstrated how an effective public health response requires many government departments and agencies to work together. The same is true for mental health. We know many factors have a role in determining and influencing a person’s mental health and we need to become much better at working together,” said Dr Fiona Keogh, Director of Policy and Research, Mental Health Ireland.

“If a joint funding package is put forward to housing and mental health, or social protection and mental health, or justice and mental health, that is seen as a win-win rather than departments having to compete and fight with each other. It would be a win-win for everybody, most importantly for the people who need support” added Dr Keogh.