Mental Health Reform, is today reacting with concern to the Government’s announcement that €9 million will be allocated to fund the purchase of mobile phone pouches for secondary schools. Minister of Health, Stephen Donnelly highlighted the ‘Keeping Childhood Smartphone Free’ proposal yesterday as a “mental health” measure for young people.
While Mental Health Reform welcomes initiatives and funding to support the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people, we have questions about the reasoning for such an allocation. We are concerned that there may not have been adequate consultation by the Government with young people and organisations in the youth mental health sector. Best practice would usually involve consultation with key stakeholders on such proposals.
In our Pre-Budget Submission, we advocated for improved funding for the voluntary and community sector. This funding is vital for organisations that provide essential mental health supports to children and young people around the country.
The Government’s decision highlights the need for a cross-departmental approach to delivering mental health services and supports for children and young people. We welcome the historic funding for mental health in Budget 2025 and the work of Minister Butler in this regard. There are many excellent initiatives in this area, including CyberSafeKids. However, the Government must prioritise consultation with organisations in the voluntary and community sector to ensure that appropriate funding is allocated to improve mental health outcomes for children and young people.
