Mental health provision of €25m ‘a mere sop’

THE provision of an estimated €25 million in mental health spending was described as inadequate and “a mere sop” by the Psychiatric Nurses’ Organisation. Spokesman Seamus Murphy expressed his disappointment with the gesture by Finance Minister Brian Cowen.

There were also uncertainties about where the money would be spent and if the €25m mentioned in yesterday’s Budget was additional to the €21m provided in the estimates for 2007.

Mr Murphy said he posed that question because €25m alone would be far from adequate to restore proper supports and services.

He said that €46m would also fall far short of a realistic spend on mental health.

The mental health budget had dwindled from 11% of the overall health budget in the 1990s to about 7% today.

In an European context the scenario was even more sobering. “Ireland has one of the lowest levels of spending on mental health than most other European countries,” he said.

European average spend was 13% of overall health budgets and Ireland trailed well behind that, he said.

Yesterday, the minister promised the provision of additional community-based mental health facilities, including mental health day centres, day hospitals and community residential facilities.

The Budget also made reference to the proposed appointment of extra front-line staff to enhance the level and range of multi-disciplinary support services available to adults and children with mental illness “in order to support the continued implementation of A Vision for Change”.

Additional funding would be made available to support the continued implementation of Reach Out National Strategy for Action on Suicide Prevention 2005-2014, the minister said.

These measures will cost an estimated €25m in 2007, according to the minister.

Source: BudgetForum.com