Funds for mental health services must 'double at least', says head of College of Psychiatrists

Dr Lorcan Martin said current funding for training doctors as specialists in psychiatry is around €600,000 short of what is needed.

Mental health services are “hollowed out” and the many critical reports will not help unless significant investment is made to help these vulnerable patients, the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland have warned.

They said for every €20 of funding in the health system, just €1 goes into mental health despite a growing number of patients with mental illness and a workforce stricken by shortages.