10 October 2025
SDLP Opposition Health Spokesperson Colin McGrath MLA has said the Executive must get serious about funding mental health treatment.
He was speaking after it emerged that 80% of the Mental Health Strategy is unlikely to proceed due to a lack of funding.
South Down MLA Colin McGrath said:
“Anyone struggling with poor mental health will be well aware that funding provided to support people has been nowhere near enough. The Mental Health Strategy was announced by the previous Health Minister to much fanfare, but it was clear that securing the funding to actually implement it was going to be a huge challenge.
“We’re all well aware of the pressure our health service is under, financially and in a whole host of ways, but failing to allocate funding to mental health services will actually cost us more money in the long run. Allowing these problems to worsen has a greater impact on patients, creating challenges around work and in many areas of their lives.
“In the absence of the services required our community and voluntary sector has stepped up and provides help to people across the North living with mental ill health. The work they do is inspiring, but they shouldn’t have to. We are long past the time where we finally started to treat people’s mental health with the seriousness it deserves, now we need funding from the Executive to back that up.”