IACP Pre-Budget Submission 2027

The Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP), representing more than 7,000 accredited members nationwide, urges the Government to make mental health a central priority in Budget 2027. As demand for mental health supports continues to grow, prudent investment in counselling and psychotherapy offers an opportunity to improve access to care, strengthen workforce capacity and reduce long-term pressures across the health system.

While the Government’s alignment with the objectives of Sharing the Vision is welcome, what our therapists and communities need now is the fiscal and regulatory flexibility to turn the vision into a reality. We must move beyond shared aspirations and deliver the concrete solutions required to address professional shortages and remove the unnecessary financial barriers blocking access to care.

To practically address the ongoing pressures on our mental health system, the IACP calls on the Government to prioritise four key policy and financial interventions in Budget 2027:

• Make counselling and psychotherapy more affordable through VAT reform.
• Improve access to mental health support through tax relief.
• Invest in early intervention by permanently expanding school counselling.
• Protect public safety through regulation of AI mental health tools.

Read our 2027 Pre-Budget Submission HERE.