€40k for counselling and talk therapy supports in Louth
Dún Dealgan Family Resource Centre & Community Therapy has been allocated €40,117
Dún Dealgan Family Resource Centre & Community Therapy has been allocated €40,117 as part of a new Government investment to expand community-based counselling and mental health supports across Ireland.
Minister for Mental Health, Mary Butler TD, has announced an expansion of community-based counselling and talk therapy supports, backed by a total investment of €3 million in Budget 2026.
The government say investment builds on the success of the Men’s Free Counselling initiative launched in September 2025, through which more than 5,200 men have already accessed free counselling and support services.
The new funding aims to 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 of Sharing 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 announced €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.
Minister Butler added:
“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.”