Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 July 2025
826. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the specific mental health supports provided under the national Traveller health action plan, including the recruitment of mental health professionals from the Traveller community, and how outcomes are being measured. [35983/25]
View answerMental health-specific actions under the National Traveller Mental Health Action Plan and other related strategies are now coordinated under a new Traveller Mental Health Implementation Plan, overseen by the HSE-chaired National Traveller Mental Health Working Group.
Members of the group are representatives from the HSE Mental Health Operations, Traveller representative groups, a lived experience representative, the Department of Health, the National Office for Suicide Prevention, and Local Authority Mental Health Co-ordinators for Travellers.
The Group meets quarterly, in locations which allow for the Group to visit and engage with local groups working on the ground (including with HSE teams supporting Mental Health service delivery to the Traveller and/or Roma Communities in regions, with representative groups, etc.).
As part of their work the Department of Health requested that the group develop a structure to report on Traveller related mental health actions across a number of existing health and mental health strategies and plans to report on any change or impact on the Traveller community. The report is currently in development and will be reviewed by the Department following its completion later this year.
As of May 2025, the following update was provided by the HSE in relation to Budget 2025 funding for traveller mental health:
• Expansion of National Traveller Counselling Service - In January 2025 there was a 33% increase in counselling sessions offered compared with the same period in 2024, and in February, an increase of 13.5% compared with the same month in 2024. Project have moved to new premises to enable more in person counselling. New counsellor identified to provide youth counselling
• Enhance NCP for Self-Harm and Suicide Related Ideation, with culturally sensitive supports for Travellers - Primary notifications numbers issued for two SCAN nurses for Portiuncula University Hospital, Ballinasloe based on evidence of Traveller presentations. Self-Harm programme liaising with leads to progress.
• Enhancing Suicide Bereavement Liaison Service with culturally appropriate supports for Travellers - Consultation with existing NGO partners to determine how this could be best integrated within the existing Suicide Bereavement Liaison service offering. Proposal expected March 2025.
• Research project on the mental health needs of the Roma community in Ireland (Once-off) - Working group set up to review Tender in advance of submission to e-tender process.
