No "Vision for Change" on Mental Health Awareness!

Fine Gael North West MEP Jim Higgins has called on the government to increase awareness of mental health illnesses and support for our mental health facilities and their staff.  Speaking from Brussels he emphasised the need for a government strategy to combat the stigma often attached to mental health issues.  "This can only be done by information, we need a national information campaign so that people with mental health issues are understood and feel free to discuss their illness, without judgment.

Mental illnesses are often ignored in our society - this hinders effective treatment, support and recovery of persons with such illnesses.  People are not sufficiently informed when it comes to mental health diseases or their prevalence in society - the World Federation for Mental Health's recent report indicates that one in four people are affected by mental illness - in Ireland that amounts to over 1 million people.

"It is crucial that such people do not suffer in silence and that sufficient treatment is accessible."

"The Government need to provide adequate funding for mental health services, last year this sector endured a substantial cut of €8.5 million, with further budget cuts looming health professionals are struggling to cope with increased workloads and reduced staffing - these people must be supported."

The government's Vision for Change initiative aims to modernise mental health services in Ireland and achieve an adequate staffing level by 2016 - Higgins respectfully submitted that "this initiative is not nearly ambitious enough."

Mr Higgins stressed that "the government must invest in a transparent manner. The lack of transparency in spending in this area is particularly acute.  Of the €51.2million provided to the HSE for the initiatives implementation, approximately €25.6 million actually reached the mental health services.

Concerned and disappointed by the lack of transparency Higgins was adamant that "the Government's failure to clearly outline it's expenditure on mental health services and to ring fence such funding so that it is used solely for its intended purpose, has allowed 3 years to pass without any substantial advancements in this area."

Disgusted by the lack of progress in the area Higgins flatly stated that "the 1 million people affected by mental health illnesses, in Ireland, want reform and advancement not pacifications and broken promises."

Contact: Aoife Kearney +32 2 2837843