Expanding access to community-based talk therapy supports is a key objective under both Sharing the Vision, a Mental Health Policy for Everyone 2020-2030 and Ireland’s Strategy to Reduce Suicide and Self-harm, Connecting for Life 2026-2035.
Talk therapies are becoming a core component of mental health service provision across all levels of care, with medical card holders eligible for free counselling through Counselling in Primary Care (CiPC), and with significant funding for NGO partners to deliver supports to priority groups.
Building on this, I have worked with my department and the HSE to develop a significant talk therapies fund of €3m recurring annually.
• I announced €2m in funding in 2025 to provide access to a suite of new talk therapies and counselling supports specifically tailored for men. Access to the services began in September 2025. 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 year, an additional €1m recurring funding was allocated support a new partnership between the HSE and Community Therapy Ireland (CTI), a national association of counselling and psychotherapy providers. It is envisaged that 29 CTI member organisations will deliver 9,000 counselling sessions as a result of the partnership. CTI and the national network of Family Resource Centres will be key partners in this, as providers with best practice Clinical Governance frameworks that are aligned with national policy.
Mental Health Crisis Supports
Mental health crisis 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 work by the HSE 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.
In addition, as Minister, I have overseen the rollout of a range of out of hours supports for people experiencing mental health difficulties as alternatives to Emergency Departments.
Crisis Resolution Services
The model of care for Crisis Resolution Services was developed as a direct recommendation of Sharing the Vision, a Mental Health Policy for Everyone 2020-2030. 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 7 pilot Crisis Resolution Teams currently operational in Galway, Sligo/Leitrim, Cork city (two teams), Waterford City , 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 and Sligo and Waterford. An additional Solace Café has opened this year in 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).
Suicide Crisis Assessment Nurse (SCAN) Service
The Suicide Crisis Assessment Nurse (SCAN) service is critically important safety net for people in suicidal crisis and I fully support 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.
The SCAN service was originally developed under the National Clinical Programme for Self-harm and Suicide-related Ideation (NCPSHI) which was introduced in Irish public hospital emergency departments in 2014. Primarily delivered by clinical nurse specialists with support from a consultant psychiatrist in each hospital area, the programme supports people presenting with suicidal ideation as well as self-harm.
The model of care for the service envisages a dedicated mental health assessment room within hospitals to provide a more appropriate environment for assessments to take place. Even when the full network of alternative Crisis Resolution Services is in place, we know people in distress will still present to emergency departments for support. Given most acute mental health in-patient units are co-located with our acute hospital network, it’s important people in distress are assessed in clinically appropriate environments when they present for support. I have allocated funding for the recruitment of additional SCAN nurses in 2026.
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.
As your question raises specific operational issues, I have also referred it to the HSE for direct reply to you.
