Press Release: Tuesday 22 September 2026
Minister Butler welcomes Interim Report from Specialist Group established to develop Traveller Mental Health Action Plan
Minister for Mental Health Mary Butler, T.D., today welcomed the Interim Report of the Traveller Mental Health Specialist Group, which she established in January 2026 to develop a dedicated Traveller Mental Health Action Plan.
Minister Butler confirmed that the report’s findings will inform consideration of mental health funding priorities as part of the Estimates process for Budget 2027, ahead of the Group’s final report and Action Plan, due by the end of 2026.
At the request of Minister Butler, the Department of Health established the Traveller Mental Health Specialist Group in January 2026 under the structures of the National Implementation and Monitoring Committee (NIMC) for Sharing the Vision, Ireland’s national mental health policy. The Group is co-producing its work with Traveller organisations and members of the Traveller community and is tasked with delivering a dedicated Traveller Mental Health Action Plan by the end of 2026.
The Specialist Group is chaired by Dr Fiona Keogh and brings together members of the Traveller community with lived and living experience of mental health difficulties, Traveller organisations, and representatives from the National Implementation and Monitoring Committee (NIMC), Government Departments, and the Health Service Executive (HSE).
The Specialist Group is also supported by a Lived Experience Reference Group which is facilitated by Exchange House Ireland and the National Suicide Research Foundation (NSRF). In addition, the Group undertook a comprehensive consultation process with members of the Traveller community over the summer of 2026, which will inform the Action Plan.
In recent Budgets, Minister Butler has prioritised Traveller mental health and funded several dedicated initiatives, with combined additional funding of €780,000 over the past two years. The additional funding has been used to expand counselling service capacity and develop more culturally appropriate mental health supports with the Traveller community. As a result, the number of clients supported by the Traveller Counselling Service increased by 50% towards the end of 2025 compared with the previous year.
Minister Butler said:
“Earlier this year, I established the Traveller Mental Health Specialist Group to develop a Traveller Mental Health Action Plan. The Group’s work has been a strong example of partnership and co-production, with Travellers and Traveller organisations playing a leading role in shaping its discussions, priorities and recommendations.
“Listening to and involving people with lived and living experience in policy development is a core principle of my approach. It helps ensure that our policies reflect people’s real experiences and needs and supports our ambition to improve services and outcomes.
“I have reviewed the Group’s Interim Report and will consider its recommendations as part of the Budget 2027 Estimates process. I look forward to receiving the Group’s final report, the Traveller Mental Health Action Plan, by the end of the year.”
Speaking about the Report, Chair of the Specialist Group, Dr Fiona Keogh said:
“Partnership and co-production are central to all of the work that we are doing in developing the Traveller Mental Health Action Plan. Through working together as equal partners, we can make more meaningful, workable policy. The objective is to produce better outcomes for the Traveller community, by listening to the voices of those with lived and living experience and placing them front and centre in delivering solutions. In this spirit, the Traveller Mental Health Action Plan we are co-producing is being shaped by extensive consultation, feedback and input from the Traveller community.”