ALONE Submission to Mental Health Reform’s Pre-Budget 2026 Report
ALONE, as a member of Mental Health Reform (MHR), submitted a survey to inform MHR’s upcoming Pre-Budget 2026 submission. In this survey, ALONE highlighted three major areas for mental health reform that we believe should be prioritised in Budget 2026
- Waiting List Reductions
- Recruitment/Staffing
- Funding for Voluntary and Community Mental Health Sector Organisations
In this submission, ALONE highlighted what we believe is working well in Ireland in regards to mental health provision such as the existence of Sharing a Vision, and the latest Sharing a Vision Implementation Plan 2025-2027 which outlines commitments to improving mental health services. Other policies such as Connecting for Life- Ireland’s National Strategy to Reduce Suicide and Pathways to Wellbeing, the National Mental Health Promotion Plan 2024-2030 are also a positive step in the right direction.
However, we acknowledge that older people are facing major challenges in terms of mental health services in Ireland such as a lack of implementation of the aforementioned policies. Additionally, ALONE cites a lack of equitable service around the country, a lack of acute mental health beds for older people, and long waiting lists and less equitable services for specialist psychiatric services for older people.
In additional comments, ALONE highlights the concerning prevalence of loneliness in older people across the country, and the significant toll this has on mental health difficulties.
Finally, this submission outlines 10 policy recommendations to combat mental health issues for older people, as outlined in further depth below.
