Press Release: Thursday 8 October 2026
Minister for Mental Health announces major investment in mental health services and crisis supports in Budget 2027
- Total allocation for mental health in 2027 will be €1.657 billion, an increase of €108 million (7%) on 2026.
- Mental health funding has increased by more than 60% since 2020.
- Funding secured for an additional 285 mental health clinicians in 2027.
- Major investment in crisis supports, youth mental health, specialist services and suicide prevention.
Minister for Mental Health, Mary Butler TD, has announced an increase of €108 million for mental health services in Budget 2027, bringing the total mental health allocation to €1.657 billion.
The funding package will support a significant expansion of community-based mental health services, with a particular focus on crisis care, suicide prevention, early intervention, child and youth mental health services and specialist national clinical programmes.
The Budget provides funding for an additional 285 clinicians across a range of mental health services in 2027, building on the 300 additional posts funded in Budget 2026. It also includes dedicated funding to begin implementation of the Mental Health Act 2026, including the expansion of independent advocacy services for people accessing mental health services.
Budget 2027 also provides capital investment to progress specialist eating disorder and perinatal mental health facilities, while increasing capacity across a number of national clinical programmes.
Minister Butler said:
“I am confident that strengthening the range of crisis supports available in our communities and hospitals can make a real difference for people when they need help most, particularly during the most difficult moments of their lives.
That is why, through Budget 2027, I am firmly continuing to invest in these vital services, ensuring we can respond more effectively and comprehensively to the needs of people experiencing distress.”
A key priority in Budget 2027 is a further €10 million investment in crisis supports and suicide prevention, building on the significant expansion of crisis services over recent years.
This includes funding to establish the Suicide Crisis Assessment Nurse (SCAN) service in every county. SCAN teams provide rapid assessment, safety planning and follow-up support for people who present to their GP experiencing suicidal ideation or severe emotional distress. Twelve additional teams will be established across eight counties, ensuring national coverage of the programme for the first time.
The Budget will also fund two new Crisis Resolution Teams in Wexford and North Tipperary. These multidisciplinary teams provide intensive short-term support in people’s homes and communities as an alternative to admission to hospital, helping individuals experiencing acute mental health difficulties to remain connected to family, work and local supports while receiving treatment.
Six new Solace Crisis Cafés will be established in Wexford, North Tipperary, Carlow, Louth, Dublin Mid-West and Dublin North Inner City. Operated in partnership with the community and voluntary sector, Solace Cafés offer out-of-hours support for people experiencing emotional distress, providing a safe space to talk, connect and access support before reaching a point of crisis.
Minister Butler continued:
“With increased investment in 2027, we will deliver the largest-ever expansion of Solace Crisis Cafés, opening six new locations across the country bringing the total number to 15 by the end of next year. These cafés provide peer-led support, practical guidance and early intervention in a welcoming, non-clinical setting and are already reducing presentations to emergency departments by between 14-18% in Limerick and Galway.”
The Budget also funds six new Specialist Crisis Nursing Teams in the Emergency Departments of Louth, Naas, Mayo, Sligo, Wexford and Connolly hospitals. These teams will provide specialist mental health support during evenings, nights and weekends, helping ensure that people presenting in distress receive timely assessment and care when they arrive at hospital.
Budget 2027 will also deliver the largest single-year increase in targeted suicide prevention funding for the Traveller community and will support implementation of recommendations emerging from the forthcoming Traveller Mental Health Action Plan.
Minister Butler said:
“We have listened carefully to the Traveller community, and in 2027 we will invest €1 million in a range of targeted suicide prevention initiatives. This funding will help support a community that faces a disproportionately high risk of suicide and poorer mental health outcomes, ensuring they receive focused supports tailored to their needs.”
Speaking at the Health Budget 2027 press conference, Minister Butler said tight controls will be put in place to ensure that mental health posts funded through Budget 2026 and Budget 2027 are protected from wider health service budgetary pressures.
Concluding, Minister Butler said:
“This Budget delivers meaningful ring-fenced and recurring investment right across mental health services, from crisis care and suicide prevention to youth mental health and specialist services. We are continuing to shift services into communities and investing in earlier intervention to make sure more people can access appropriate, timely support, as close to home as possible.”