Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 October 2025
845. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Health the funding in place for adults suffering from ADHD and depression to cover the cost of therapy sessions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54895/25]
View answerThe Department of Health and HSE do not cover the cost of therapy sessions for individuals, however there are a number of services in place to assist adults with ADHD with access to ADHD services and also to talk therapies.
ADHD has long been recognised as one of the most common psychiatric disorders in children and it is now known to persist into adulthood. Core symptoms include inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity.
As Minister, I'm proud to have launched the Model of Care for Adult ADHD and to have resourced the establishment of the teams envisioned by the Model of Care. Supported by funding of over €5m on a recurring annual basis, the National Clinical Programme on ADHD in Adults currently has 7 teams operational. Additional funding I secured in Budget 2025 will roll out all further teams envisaged in the Model of Care. This National Clinical Programme is based on multi-disciplinary community teams to diagnose and treat ADHD in adults, and teams include a psychologist.
Last year, I also secured funding for the Understanding and Managing Adult ADHD Programme (UMAAP), a six-week programme run by ADHD Ireland which has proven highly beneficial and effective for adults who have completed it. More information on accessing this course is available from ADHD Ireland.
Better access to talk therapies for people experiencing mental health difficulties, including ADHD, is a priority for myself as Minister, the Government, and the HSE.
I recently launched free counselling supports for men, supported by recurring annual funding of €2m. The supports are available via GPs and are being actively promoted through a national campaign targeting men The initiative will provide over 15,000 free counselling sessions to men and establishes accessible supports over the phone and in-person.
The funding is targeted at assisting with stigma reduction and to actively encourage men who otherwise would not usually avail of counselling to seek help with their mental health, to assist men in accessing mental health services, and to provide much-needed support for men experiencing a mental health crisis.
This initiative is embedded within Ireland’s approach to mental health policy implementation. Both Sharing the Vision – A Mental Health Policy for Everyone, and Connecting for Life, Ireland’s national strategy for suicide prevention, emphasise that talk therapies should be considered a first-line treatment option for most people who experience mental health difficulties.
More broadly, the HSE is also working to establish a therapeutic interventions service improvement programme board (TISIP). The programme board will provide consolidated leadership and governance for therapeutic interventions across the whole health system, with the aim of increasing capacity, and facilitating access to, high quality integrated supports and services for all who require them.
Medical card holders have access to free counselling from the HSE’s National Counselling Service, through the Counselling in Primary Care service (CiPC), with referral from their GP.
Finally, the HSE funds a wide range of organisations nationwide to provide mental health supports, including free and low cost counselling options from partners such as MyMind and Turn2Me, comprehensively outlined on yourmentalhealth.ie.
