Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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90. To ask the Minister for Health if she is concerned about ongoing delays in approving the application for a Jigsaw youth mental health service in Waterford city; and her views on whether it acceptable that Waterford is the only city in the State, and the south east the only region, without such a service. [10828/25]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The development of all aspects of mental health care, including that for youth mental health, remains a priority for me, my Department, and for the HSE. Mental health funding has increased by 44% since 2020. Year-on-year funding for mental health services increased by €143.5 million from €1.3 billion announced in Budget 2024 to almost €1.5 billion in 2025. This represents a 10.7% annual increase and an increase for the fifth year in a row.

Specialist CAMHS services received approximately €160 million in dedicated funding in 2024, an increase from €137 million in 2023. In addition, approximately €110m is provided to community-based mental health organisations and NGOs this year, with a significant proportion dedicated to supporting young people through partnerships such as Jigsaw.

Under Budget 2025, an additional €2.9m will support CAMHS to increase core staffing, reduce waiting lists, develop a new CAMHS Emergency Liaison Service and expand CAMHS Hubs to improve crisis cover for services.

Jigsaw is funded as a Section 39 organisation by the HSE under a Service Level Arrangement to provide Primary Care youth mental health services for those with mild to moderate mental health difficulties. They provide face-to-face, online and phone-based services to young people aged between 12 to 25 years old while working with communities to resource and support parents and other adults who work with young people. Face-to-face services are delivered from 14 locations nationwide in the form of short intervention sessions with healthcare professionals, usually taking place across 6 to 8 appointments. Other services include live 1 to 1 online chat, phone-based support provided by a counsellor, text support, and in reach to schools.

Jigsaw is currently funded via the HSE to offer community based primary care youth mental health services in the following areas of Ireland: Donegal, Galway/Roscommon, Limerick, Kerry, Cork, Tipperary, Laois-Offaly, Wicklow, Meath, Dublin 15, North Fingal, Dublin South West and Dublin City. In addition, it is funded to provide an online Live Chat service that is available to young people across the Republic of Ireland.

In terms of further service developments by Jigsaw funded through the HSE, an application for funding and a detailed Business Case for any new individual service development would in the first instance need to be considered and supported by the local HSE Office, and also by the HSE National Child and Youth Mental Health Office in the context of wider service development plans and the annual HSE National Service Plan. Any such consideration would need to be evaluated in the context of the wider Service Level Agreement between the HSE and Jigsaw. These considerations are led out by the National Office for Child and Youth Mental Health in the HSE which was established to improve leadership and management across youth mental health. The Office published its new Youth Mental Health Action Plan on 17 February 2025, which will guide service delivery and improvement programmes over the coming three years. The development and provision of community mental health services, including through section 39 organisations, will be considered within the context of the Action Plan and future national service plans.

I recently received a copy of correspondence from Waterford Comhairle Na nOg to the HSE for a new Jigsaw service in Waterford. I have asked the HSE for its views on the matter and will reply to this organisation in due course.