'Our voices are not being heard': Mental health advocates write to Taoiseach over underfunding

In an open letter to Taoiseach Simon Harris, mental health advocacy groups said 'persistent underfunding' has left Ireland ranked worst in Europe for difficulty in accessing services.

More than 60 advocacy groups have written a scathing open letter to Taoiseach Simon Harris, saying mental health patients’ voices are not being heard by the Government.

Led by Mental Health Reform, the 63 signatories include Pieta House, Jigsaw, Barnardos, Alone, Bodywhys and Shine. The list also includes the Irish Council for Civil Liberties and Focus Ireland.

“After you became Taoiseach, you said that you ‘know what it feels like when you feel your voice is not being heard’,” the letter starts.

“For years, Mental Health Reform, and our members have called for appropriate funding for mental health services in Ireland. Despite repeated calls for investment, only 5.6% of the total health budget is allocated to mental health.

“This is significantly below the 10% recommended in Sláintecare. We, too, feel our voices are not being heard.” 

They said “persistent underfunding” has left Ireland ranked worst in Europe for difficulty in accessing these services.

“There are long delays for treatment, inconsistent standards of care, and severe staffing shortages,” they warned.

Children and families in particular are unable to access appropriate or timely intervention.

They highlighted un-reached targets in a 2020 policy called ‘Sharing the Vision’. 

These include “delivery of gender-sensitive mental health services”.

Lack of new development funding has put limits on “life-saving treatment for people with eating disorders, psychosis, dual diagnosis and other complex needs”.

The letter calls for investment of an additional €120m to fix severe deficits in the mental health system.

“Currently, only 1% of health expenditure is allocated to preventative measures. However, any investment in prevention can yield two to four times the economic return,” they said.

They urged Mr Harris to leave “ a positive legacy” as this Government’s term draws to a close.

“The mental health of our nation is at stake. Let’s build a mental health system we can be proud of, one that listens, acts, and delivers,” the letter concluded.

The time is now, Taoiseach. Those in need of mental health services and supports can no longer wait.

Mental Health Reform interim chief executive Philip Watt separately said as a comparison, more than 14% of the UK national health budget goes on mental health.

“Since the pandemic, pressures on the voluntary and community sector have reached unsustainable levels,” he warned.

However, despite this rising demand, “there has been little to no sustainable funding increase for the sector in recent years”, he said.