AQW 14309/22-27

Mr Andrew McMurray
Alliance Party
South Down

Tabled Date: 02/09/2024
Answered On Date: 16/09/2024
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health whether he plans to replace the Mental Health Support Fund.

Answer:

The Mental Health Support Fund was established using unspent Covid-19 monies to help equip and enable our local charity sector to continue to provide vital mental health services in our communities. The fund was a one-off, non-recurring fund for a period of three years, from April 2021 to March 2024. All monies allocated to the Mental Health Support Fund have now been exhausted and it has now ended.

The 2024-25 Resource budget for the Department, regrettably passed by the NI Assembly and supported by you, represented a 2.3% reduction in funding compared to expenditure in 2023-24. Health and Social Care (HSC) is facing a significant funding shortfall. The financial position therefore remains very challenging, and work continues across the HSC system to deliver the maximum possible savings and efficiencies. Therefore, there is currently no capacity within the current budget to extend or replace the fund.