A portion of the funds will be used to shorten waiting lists; according to the most current data, there are slightly under 4,000 people on them.

At a national mental health conference in Dublin, Minister of Health Stephen Donnelly stated that the government places the highest focus on mental health care.

The financing for this sector, according to him, grew by a third to €1.3 billion this year from €970 million in 2020.

Similar to the broader health system, some mental health teams are operating effectively while others are not, according to Mr. Donnelly.

According to him, “increased funding and change must go hand in hand.”

There are currently five early interventions in psychosis teams and seven adult teams for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, according to information presented at a conference hosted by the HSE and the Department of Health.

As noted by Ian Power, CEO of Spunout, “a youth mental health support company, basic care and talking therapies require greater funding.”

He stated that early access to health services is necessary for young people to address issues as they come up and prevent the need for specialised treatment.