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Minister for Mental Health, Mary Butler TD, has announced a major expansion of community-based counselling and talk therapy supports, backed by a total investment of €3 million in Budget 2026.

The investment builds on the success of theMen’s Free Counsellinginitiative launched in September 2025, through which more than 5,200 men have already accessed free counselling and support services.

The new funding will further strengthen access to early intervention mental health supports in communities across Ireland and will support a new partnership between the Health Service Executive (HSE) and Community Therapy Ireland (CTI), a national association of counselling and psychotherapy providers.

Community Therapy Ireland member organisations will deliver 9,000 counselling sessions as a result of the partnership.

Announcing the investment, Minister Butler said:

“Expanding access to high quality talk therapies is a key commitment ofSharing the Vision, our national mental health policy. We know that early access to counselling can make a real difference to people’s lives, helping them to address challenges before they reach crisis point.”

“I have secured new investment of €5 million over the last two budgets to fund 39,000 additional hours of counselling, with a particular focus on reaching groups who may face barriers to accessing services.”

“This funding is helping to ensure that more people are receiving professional, community-based supports in a timely and accessible way.”

Minister Butler secured €1 million in recurring funding in Budget 2026 to expand community-based counselling and psychotherapy services through a new partnership between the HSE and Community Therapy Ireland.

Established in 2008, Community Therapy Ireland represents 29 counselling and psychotherapy organisations delivering professional, affordable and accessible services in communities throughout the country. The organisation has also developed a Clinical Governance Badge of Excellence, a quality assurance framework comprising 82 indicators designed to promote safe, rights-based, recovery-focused, trauma-informed and person-centred services.

The new investment will support increased counselling capacity in communities nationwide through the delivery of 9,000 counselling sessions, while also promoting consistency and high standards across funded services. The funding will be targeted to new clients, in particular young people and LGBTQ+ people.

“Community organisations play a vital role in supporting mental health and wellbeing at local level. Our partnership with Community Therapy Ireland will help expand access to counselling services across the country while strengthening quality, governance and outcomes. This is about ensuring that people receive the right support, in the right place, at the right time.”

The investment represents a significant step forward in the Government’s commitment to delivering accessible, community-based mental health supports and ensuring that evidence-based talk therapies are available to those who need them most.

A key element of the investment to date has been theMen’s Free Counsellingprogramme, launched in September 2025 following the allocation of €2 million in recurring annual funding. The initiative provides a range of free counselling supports including face-to-face, phone and online, and was designed to increase engagement with counselling and mental health supports among men aged 30 to 50, the age group most at risk of suicide.

Demand for the service has been strong since its launch. More than 5,200 men have availed of services under the programme and over 18,000 counselling sessions have been delivered. By the end of May 2026, this included 4,810 referrals to Counselling in Primary Care and 460 referrals to MyMind.

The programme is now being expanded through the introduction of the new ‘Men Connect’ Programme across three Family Resource Centres in Monaghan, Sligo and Waterford. The ‘Men Connect’ model is being piloted to provide wraparound supports through dedicated outreach, mental health promotion, and counselling services.

“The response to the Men’s Mental Health Initiative has been extremely encouraging. More than 5,200 men have already come forward to access support, many of them for the first time. This demonstrates the importance of providing services that are accessible, stigma-free and responsive to people’s needs.”

“Men account for approximately 80 per cent of deaths by suicide in Ireland. It is vital that we continue to break down barriers to help-seeking and ensure that men can access support when they need it.”

“We are now expanding the programme through a new partnership with Family Resource Centres. FRCs are at the heart of nearly every community in Ireland, and this initiative will further build on our approach of meeting men wherever they are.”

HSE Partnership with Community Therapy Ireland

Men’s Free Counsellinginitiative