In April 2025, Ireland’s Department of Health launched the “Sharing the Vision: A Mental Health Policy for Everyone” Implementation Plan for 2025–2027. This comprehensive plan aims to transform mental health services across the country, emphasizing early intervention, community-based care, and the integration of mental health services into the broader healthcare system.
The plan outlines several key initiatives, including the enactment of the Mental Health Bill 2024, which will provide a person-centered framework for delivering and regulating mental health services. A ten-year capital plan is also in development to ensure that mental health facilities are trauma-informed and fit for purpose. Additionally, a national Model of Care for child and youth mental health services will be published, introducing a Single Point of Access to improve integration and transition between services.
To enhance accessibility, the Counselling in Primary Care (CiPC) program will expand its capacity, with a clear path toward universal access to counseling. The National Autism Protocol will be rolled out, ensuring that children and young people with autism have access to assessment and early intervention services. Furthermore, the plan includes measures to support individuals with mental health difficulties in accessing independent housing, including the employment of housing coordinators in all Health Regions.
Social prescribing will be expanded, particularly targeting supports for young people, and there will be a phased rollout of Electronic Health Records (EHR) across mental health services. An evidence-informed model for measuring policy outcomes will be implemented, adopting a phased approach.
The implementation plan also encompasses three separate transformation programs: developing an overarching operating framework for mental health, designing operating guidelines for general adult community mental health teams, and fully implementing the recently published Child & Youth Mental Health Action Plan.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin emphasized the government’s commitment to investing in and modernizing mental health services, highlighting a record mental health budget of €1.5 billion for 2025—a 10.7% increase from the previous year. This funding boost includes allocations for expanding national clinical programs, enhancing counseling services, and supporting mental health initiatives for marginalized communities, such as the Traveller and Roma populations.
The “Sharing the Vision” Implementation Plan represents a significant step forward in Ireland’s efforts to create a more inclusive, accessible, and effective mental health system, with a strong focus on early intervention, community-based care, and the integration of services across the healthcare continuum.
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