Government Chief Whip and Minister for Mental Health, Mary Butler has signed the WHO declaration on ‘Mental Health in All Policies’ on behalf of Ireland in an effort to integrate mental health in all government policies.
Minister Butler has travelled to Paris to represent Ireland at a two-day WHO (Europe) conference (16 and 17 June) and to contribute to a high-level ministerial panel, hold bilateral meetings with the Ministers for Health of France, Lithuania, and Malta and attend a working lunch hosted by French Minister Yannick Neuder to discuss a range of issues of mutual interest.
During the high-level meeting, Minister Butler shared examples of where Ireland has been successful in driving positive outcomes in mental health in collaboration with other government departments. In particular, the Minister highlighted the positive engagement between the Department of Health, Department of Housing, Local Authorities, and the Health Service Executive (HSE) to provide supported housing to approximately 500 people with enduring mental health difficulties in 2024.
Minister Butler also highlighted a new initiative by the Departments of Health and Justice and led by the HSE and An Garda Siochana in Limerick to pilot a collaborative approach (CAST) to those in a mental health crisis through a joint response from clinicians and Gardai. The pilot is already showing success in diverting people in crisis away from busy emergency departments and away from the criminal justice system.
In addition to sharing Ireland’s experience to date on cross-departmental collaboration in mental health, the Minister also spoke about further plans to strengthen comprehensive responses across the social determinants of mental health in housing, employment, justice and social protection.
Integrating mental health into all government policies is essential to addressing the complex interplay of social, economic, and environmental determinants that shape mental wellbeing. Mental health does not exist in isolation, it is deeply influenced by factors such as housing stability, employment conditions, education access, community cohesion, and environmental quality.
Speaking in Paris at the conference, Minister Butler said:
