Delargy welcomes mental health funding boost but hits out at DUP for blocking three-year budget

Sinn Féin Foyle MLA, Pádraig Delargy, has welcomed the additional £6.2m for mental health community services.

Health Minister Robin Swann has announced details of the latest round of awards under the Mental Health Support Fund.

The Minister recently confirmed that he had secured an extra £6.02m to be allocated to the Mental Health Support Fund.

This money is in addition to the £10m which has already been made available for the Fund, taking the total to £16.02m available.

Mr Delargy said that he would hope that the Department of Health continues its support for mental health services but stated that their work needed the DUP to return to the Executive in order for everyone to fully benefit.

He said: “I welcome the additional £6.2m to the mental health support fund to provide community-based counselling and mental health services.

“It is vital that the department of health continues to be supported to further increase the overall mental health budget.

“The health service requires the three-year-budget, blocked by the DUP’s reckless decision to collapse the Executive, to tackle waiting lists, to recruit more doctors and nurses, to fund cancer and mental health services and to transform the health service.

“Our health service is much more important than the electoral difficulties of the DUP.

“They should get back to work and ensure health workers have the resources needed.”

Mr Delargy's message to the DUP was re-enforced by his fellow Sinn Féin Foyle MLA, Ciara Ferguson.

She added: “Across the trusts we are seeing hospitals in crisis due to the chronic shortage of doctors, nurses and social care workers.

“The pressure on the entire sector is untenable due to the staffing crisis and the safety of both staff and patients is at risk.

^{Foyle MLA, Ciara Ferguson of Sinn Féin}

“The health service requires the three year budget, blocked by the DUP’s reckless decision to collapse the Executive, to tackle waiting lists, to recruit more doctors and nurses, to fund cancer and mental health services and to transform the health service.

“Our health service is much more important than the electoral difficulties of the DUP.

“They should get back to work and ensure that health workers have the resources needed to tackle the huge pressures across our hospitals, emergency rooms, our GP surgeries and the entire health care system.”

In announcing the funding, Health Minister, Robin Swann, stated that the cash boost was vital to further help those whose mental health had suffered during the pandemic.

He said: “The COVID-19 pandemic, and the necessary restrictions which have been put in place to prevent its spread, have exacerbated mental health problems across Northern Ireland during these past two years.

^{Health Minister, Robin Swann of the Ulster Unionist Party}

“Too many people have been struggling with mental ill health as well as feelings of isolation and loneliness, and they’ve found it difficult to get the help and support they need.

“When I launched the Mental Health Support Fund last year, my aim was to equip and enable our local charity sector to continue to provide vital mental health services in our communities.

“The Fund has been strongly welcomed by those working in the sector and it’s already making a positive difference in communities right across Northern Ireland and particularly in areas of deprivation where levels of mental ill health are highest.

“I’ve had the privilege in the past couple of weeks of visiting some of the projects which are receiving awards under the latest £6.02m of funding, and I’ve met service users, staff and volunteers who’ve told me how important the Mental Health Support Fund is in enabling them to expand their services and help more people.”