Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 February 2026
1158. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the current level of provision and staffing of acute mental health services for older adults (details supplied); the waiting times, broken down by health region and age range, for the counselling in primary care service, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12234/26]
View answerIn the community, HSE Mental Services provide a national network of 34 Psychiatry of Later Life (PoLL) teams to assess and treat mental health issues for adults over the age of 65. Teams are multidisciplinary, with over 400 staff nationwide. Over 85% of referrals are seen within 12 weeks.
Community based Psychiatry of Later Life services are also supported by Day Hospitals who work through activities and interventions matched to the needs of the patient, such as group therapies, skills training to maintain quality of life and independence, and individual therapy, including bereavement therapy.
The Model of Care for Specialist Mental Health Services for Older People was launched in June 2019. This Model of Care provides a framework for the provision of specialist mental health services for older people, and how they interact with and complement general and specialist medical services for older people in primary and secondary care in Ireland.
It is currently being rolled out on a phased basis, with the initial focus on the rollout of 4 pilot/demonstrator sites for development of a Psychiatry of Old Age Liaison Services for Acute Hospitals currently seeing patients and a further site in development. Under Budget 2026, posts have been funded to support the rollout of this Programme.
As your enquiry relates to an operational issue, it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to you.
