The Irish Minister for Mental Health, Mary Butler, has announced €2 million in funding to launch a new range of counselling and talk therapy services specifically aimed at men. The initiative is set to begin in September 2025 and will deliver more than 15,000 free counselling sessions annually. Designed to improve access to mental health supports for men, the programme will offer both in-person and telephone-based services and will be accessible via GPs, the HSE helpline, and the yourmentalhealth.ie website.
This programme aligns with Ireland’s national mental health policies, Sharing the Vision and Connecting for Life, which advocate for talk therapies as a primary treatment for mental health challenges. The funding, part of Budget 2025, reflects an integrated approach to mental health care, supporting everything from early intervention to clinical services. It aims to address stigma, encourage help-seeking, and better serve men who are often underrepresented in traditional mental health services.
Minister Butler highlighted the critical need for targeted supports, noting the disparity between service usage and suicide rates among men—while women comprise two-thirds of counselling service users, men account for about 80% of suicides. The new initiative seeks to close this gap by making services more accessible and aligned with men’s needs and preferences. A national marketing campaign will also launch in September to promote the supports directly to men.
As part of the broader approach, the government will partner with organisations like Connect Counselling and MyMind to deliver services, and it will simplify referral pathways through the National Counselling Service and Counselling in Primary Care. Special attention is being given to young Traveller men through a collaboration with Exchange House, and additional initiatives such as the Minding Your Wellbeing for Men programme will reinforce mental health promotion across the population.
Ultimately, the government aims to reduce stigma, improve access, and empower men to seek help by offering counselling services that are timely, flexible, and tailored to their lived experiences.
