Press Release: Wednesday 13 May 2026
Minister for Mental Health Mary Butler welcomes new national guidance for mental health services for people with intellectual disabilities
The Minister for Mental Health, Mary Butler TD, has today welcomed the publication of new national guidance to support the delivery of mental health services for people with intellectual disabilities, describing it as a significant and positive development for people using services, families and frontline staff alike.
The guidance, published by the Mental Health Commission, provides clear and practical direction for mental health services to better recognise, support and respond to the needs of people who experience both mental ill‑health and an intellectual disability.
Speaking today, Minister Butler said:
“I fully endorse this new national guidance for all mental health services as I believe that people with intellectual disabilities are entitled to the same high‑quality, accessible and respectful mental health care as everyone else.
“The guidance strongly reflects the values underpinning Sharing the Vision, Ireland’s national mental health policy, by promoting inclusive, person‑centred and rights‑based care across all mental health settings.
“This approach must be the standard everywhere, ensuring that everyone accessing care is treated with dignity, respect, and receives support tailored to their individual needs.”
Minister Butler continued:
“This guidance supports services to move away from one‑size‑fits‑all approaches and towards care that truly listens to the individual, respects autonomy, and makes reasonable accommodations as standard practice. The guidance also reflects the Government’s commitment to a rights-based, person-centred mental health system through the new Mental Health Act, which was signed into law last week.”
Minister Butler highlighted the importance of joined‑up working across mental health, disability and community services, noting that the guidance supports greater collaboration and shared responsibility across the system.
“Good mental health care doesn’t exist in silos. This guidance reinforces the need for strong collaboration between specialist services, families, carers and advocates, so that people receive coordinated and compassionate support.”
The Minister also acknowledged the voices of people with lived experience and their families in shaping the guidance.
“I particularly welcome the emphasis on listening to people with intellectual disabilities in the production of this guidance. Their experiences and insights are critical to improving services and ensuring that care is grounded in meeting the real needs of people who access our Mental Health Intellectual Disability (MHID) services.”
Minister Butler reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to continued reform and improvement in mental health services:
“My priority is to ensure that national policy, service models and frontline practice are aligned, so that everyone can access supports that are compassionate, person-centred and respectful. This guidance is a valuable resource in supporting services and staff to deliver on this commitment.”
The guidance is available on the Mental Health Commission’s website: Guidance for staff providing mental health services to persons with intellectual disabilities