Press Release: Minister Butler marks World Mental Health Day 2026 by announcing €11 million investment in early intervention, youth mental health and talk therapies
- Almost €4 million to establish four new Jigsaw services, providing access to 135,000 more young people across six counties.
- Further investment in community-based counselling and talk therapies to provide 33,000 more free counselling sessions.
- Increase of €108 million in mental health in Budget 2027, bringing total allocation to €1.657 billion – up over 60% since 2020.
Minister for Mental Health, Mary Butler TD is marking World Mental Health Day 2026 by announcing an investment of €11 million that will strengthen early intervention, youth mental health and community-based supports across Ireland.
At the centre of the package is an investment of €3.8 million to establish four new Jigsaw services in Dún Laoghaire and across counties Kildare, Cavan, Monaghan, Sligo and Leitrim. Jigsaw provides free support for young people aged 12 to 25 experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties. Once operational next year, these new services will extend access to an estimated 135,000 additional young people across six counties, increasing national coverage of such services from 75% to 90%.
Minister Butler is also announcing further investment in two key community-based counselling and talk therapy initiatives, the Free Men’s Counselling Programme, and the Community Therapy Fund. An additional €2.8 million in Budget 2027 will increase recurring funding for these programmes to €5.8 million annually, enabling the delivery of an additional 59,000 free counselling sessions each year. Since its launch, more than 8,200 men have engaged with the Free Men’s Counselling Programme, many accessing support for the first time, with over 24,000 free counselling sessions delivered to date.
Minister Butler has also secured further investment of over €3.5 million to strengthen specialist care within Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). This includes additional clinical staff to establish a dedicated ADHD pathway and enhanced Mental Health Intellectual Disability (MHID) services for children and young people with complex needs. The new resources will support faster access to assessment and care, with a particular focus on children waiting longest for services.
Recognising the important role of recovery-focused and non-clinical supports, Minister Butler is investing €500,000 to expand Social Farming initiatives for young people attending CAMHS and for people living in community mental health residences. Social Farming provides opportunities for people to build confidence, develop social connections and participate in meaningful activities in community settings, supporting recovery and overall wellbeing.
A further €1 million is also being invested to strengthen Mental Health Engagement and Recovery services through the recruitment of 18 additional staff, including peer support workers, family support workers, recovery coordinators and Individual Placement and Support (IPS) coordinators. These services help people experiencing mental health difficulties to build independent lives, strengthen community connections and access employment, education and other opportunities that support long-term recovery.
This package forms part of the record €1.657 billion allocated to mental health services in Budget 2027, an increase of €108 million on 2026 and more than 60% higher than the level of investment in 2020.
Minister Butler said:
“I am pleased to have secured significant investment once again this year to strengthen and broaden the range of mental health supports available in our communities, ensuring that therapeutic support is accessible and available at the earliest point of need.
“I have been consistent in my support of Jigsaw, they are a key partner in enabling us to widen access to early intervention mental health services for young people. The funding of four new Jigsaw services for next year will widen access to 135,000 more young people across six counties. I know these new Jigsaw services will make an incredible difference to the lives of thousands of young people in Ireland.
“After the first full year of our men’s free counselling programme, I am so pleased that over 8,200 men engaged with services so far, many for the first time, with over 24,000 counselling sessions delivered so far. This initiative has been particularly important, given that men aged 30 to 50, are most at risk of suicide, and men are less likely to reach out or ask for support.
“By increasing investment in early intervention and talk therapies again this year, we are building substantial capacity to deliver almost 60,000 counselling sessions under the men’s counselling and community therapy programmes alone. These supports will continue to deliver early access to stigma-free and quality services across our communities, and I hope many more new people will reach out to them for support both today on World Mental Health Day and every day of the year.
“There is no health without mental health, and on World Mental Health Day I want to encourage anyone struggling with their mental health to reach out to one of the many free supports either provided by or funded by the HSE. Please visit yourmentalhealth.ie to learn more about the supports that are available.”