Cormac Devlin
Ceist:152. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health her plans for more suicide crisis assessment nurse teams; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28350/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 21 April 2026
Ceisteanna (152)
Freagraí scríofa
The Government’s clear commitment to enhancing mental health services is shown by significant mental health funding increases in recent years. I would note that Budget 2026 saw a record allocation for mental health services of almost €1.6bn.
The additional funding for current expenditure in Budget 2026 for the Health Vote is €1.5 billion, bringing the total current allocation to €25.8 billion. This includes funding to maintain existing levels of service and for new service developments, including funding for the recruitment of 300 additional whole time equivalent staff within Mental Health in 2026.
A major focus of this year's budget is improving support for people in mental health crisis both in hospitals and in the community through an additional €15 million for crisis supports and suicide prevention. Significant progress has been made over the past three years to develop alternative crisis mental health pathways.
Part of this allocation for crisis supports will be used to support and extend SCAN. The Suicide Crisis Assessment Nurse (SCAN) service is critically important safety net for people in suicidal crisis and the Minister fully supports the intention within the second Sharing the Vision implementation plan to expand these services to provide full coverage nationwide. These services provide a timely response to requests for assessment of patients in suicidal crisis from GPs, and the assessments often take place in primary care settings.
I have funded six new SCAN teams as part of this expansion of suicide prevention and crisis response services. Each SCAN team is made up of two senior mental health nurses at Clinical Nurse Specialist grade under the clinical governance of the National Clinical Programme for Self-harm and Suicide-related Ideation. This will bring the total number of teams to 21 across 18 counties, and these new teams will strengthen community based crisis supports, improve access to specialist assessment, and provide faster, more coordinated care for individuals in suicidal crisis.
In addition, it is a priority for me to provide people in suicidal distress with real alternatives to EDs, recognising that this is often not the best environment for supporting people.
Crisis mental health supports, including those with 24/7 coverage, are currently provided across a number of settings and services, including hospital based services, out of hours services such as CAMHS on call, and non-governmental organisation services such as crisis phone and text supports, funded by HSE Mental Health Services.
The National Implementation and Monitoring Committee for Sharing the Vision: A Mental Health Policy for Everyone (2020-2030) is currently overseeing a piece of work by the HSE Implementation Group to bring together the range of available out-of-hours and crisis services and supports, with a view to aligning and streamlining supports and identifying any potential gaps in service provision. It is envisaged that this work will form the basis of an Adult Crisis Response Framework. This project is currently in an advanced state of preparation and is expected to be initiated formally before end-2026.
Crisis Resolution Services
The model of care for Crisis Resolution Services was developed as a direct recommendation of Sharing the Vision, Ireland’s national mental health policy. It recognises that people who are experiencing a mental health crisis need specialist services to provide timely brief intensive supports to keep people safe.
Crisis Resolution Teams• : These comprise of teams of mental health professionals who work out of hours to meet people in a crisis and provide rapid assessment and intensive intervention. There are 6 pilot Crisis Resolution Teams currently operational in Galway, Sligo/Leitrim, Cork city (two teams), Waterford City and County, South Dublin/Wicklow, and Limerick.
Crisis Cafés• : Solace Cafes provide a welcoming, non-clinical safe environment in the style of a café where people can go at evenings and weekends. The Cafés provides a range of support for those who needed to use its services including crisis support, signposting, peer support, and community support. The Cafes are now open in Cork City, South Dublin, Sligo, Waterford and Limerick.
Additional funding has been provided for more Crisis Resolution Teams and Solace Cafes in Budget 2026, for Donegal, Kerry and the Midlands (Tullamore/Westmeath).
Specialist Crisis Nurses in hospitals
Under funding which I allocated in Budget 2026, the HSE will establish specialist nursing teams in the emergency departments of all Model 4 hospitals out-of-hours, made up of Advanced Nurse Practitioners and Clinical Nurse Specialists to support people in crisis. By placing specialist nursing teams in our emergency departments out-of-hours, coupled with the expansion of community alternatives such as crisis resolution teams and crisis cafes, we are fundamentally changing how we respond to the needs of people in distress.