Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 22 January 2026
24. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Health when a decision will be made be made on whether the community access support team will be renewed for an additional, year; if the programme will be expanded; and if central funding will be provided to support the programme. [4441/26]
View answerThe Community Access Support Team (CAST) pilot project in Limerick arose from the Final Report of the High Level Taskforce on mental health and addiction. This initiative, the first of its kind in Ireland, has been a priority for me, the Minister for Justice, the HSE, and An Garda Síochána.
The CAST team are working to enhance diversionary practices for those experiencing crisis and situational trauma leading to mental health difficulties, with the shared goal of providing a compassionate and effective response to people in distress. The pilot became operational in January 2025 and has been beneficial for vulnerable people in Limerick.
Given that CAST is a pilot project, additional funding was not required under Budgets 2025 or 2026 to expand the pilot. Instead, as part of the original workplan, an evaluation of CAST will be finalised this year which will provide an evidence base that will help inform next steps, including any potential rollout of this model of care as appropriate nationally in the future. The recommendations from the evaluation will be considered by the Department of Health and Department of Justice, alongside key stakeholders.
I will continue to liaise with the Minister for Justice on this matter and the HSE will continue to work closely with An Garda Síochána on this important new initiative.
