Mental health paying price for underfunding of health service

I refer to your report titled ”Government urged to reaffirm commitment to mental health” (Irish Examiner, Oct 23) in which Minister with Responsibility for Mental Health, Kathleen Lynch, states that the €15m dropped from the mental health budget of €35m specifically set aside and ringfenced in 2014 to populate and enhance the roll-out of a community mental health service, will be restored in 2015.

The record of this Government, like previous ones, on mental health has been dismal. When A Vision for Change (AVFC) was published in 2006, that report stated that 8.5% of the health budget would be required to implement its recommendation. In 2006, 6.5% of health spending was committed to mental health spending and this was to be increased to 8.5% of health spending as the roll-out of a comprehensive community mental health service was commenced.

However, six years later spending on mental health services has in fact fallen to 4.8% of the health budget in 2012. In many areas of the country AVFC has become a non-event, with the reverse happening and existing community and institutional services being closed and reduced.