Mental health charities call for extra €200m in budget to meet increasing demand

More than 9,200 people are waiting more than a year to see a primary care psychologist, Mental Health Reform says. File picture

At least €200m extra needs to be given to the mental health budget in 2026, such is the level of need for essential services, Mental Health Reform has said.

This would increase the mental health budget, as a percentage of the overall health budget, to 6.5% — which would be still half the percentage allocation 40 years ago, the body said.

In its pre-budget submission for 2026, the coalition of charities said Ireland would still fall “considerably short” of the Government’s target allocation of 10% of the total health budget to mental health.

The submission says:

• More than 9,200 people are waiting more than a year to see a primary care psychologist;
• Ireland has only 31 psychiatric beds per 100,000 people, compared to the EU average of 71 beds;
• Almost 4,400 children are waiting to be seen by the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (Camhs), as of May 2025 — an increase of 15% from May 2024;
• The number of young people waiting more than 12 months for their first appointment with Camhs jumped by 45%;
• At the same time, there has been a 10% increase in referrals to Camhs;
• Some 8,830 children are waiting over two years to access psychological support. 

“The wait is particularly long for children’s services,” the MHR submission said. “Demand for Camhs services continues to surge.” 

It said primary care played a “vital role” in early intervention and preventing mental health issues from escalating into more complex conditions.

“It is essential that urgent investment is made available to tackle the underlying causes of these unacceptably long waiting lists, particularly chronic staffing shortages and systemic resourcing gaps,” it said.

The submission also flags limited out-of-hours services and crisis care. It said the Inspector of Mental Health Services pointed out this summer than about 51,000 people in a mental health crisis went to emergency departments annually.

MHR said member organisations believed “overcrowding, inadequate staffing and the absence of dedicated mental health spaces” make EDs ill-equipped.

It called for a rollout out of HSE crisis resolution teams and crisis cafes, which are being piloted.

It said while €5.7m was allocated to national clinical programmes — providing specialist care for eating disorders, ADHD in adults, dual diagnosis (drugs and mental health), early intervention in psychosis, perinatal mental health and suicide/self-harm — in 2025, that “continued and increased” investment was needed to meet demand.