The IACP Highlights Crucial Budget Priorities to Enhance Accessibility of Mental Health Support [29/08/2023]
Press Release
29/08/2023
IACP Highlights Crucial Budget Priorities to Enhance Accessibility of Mental Health Support
The Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP) sees Budget 2024 as an ideal opportunity for the Government to respond to the mental health needs of the people of Ireland, exacerbated and amplified by the lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The IACP priorities for Budget 2024 are:
• Expand the Department of Education Pilot Programme of Counselling in Primary Schools to all schools in Ireland.
• Extend tax relief on medical expenses to include counselling/psychotherapy.
• Apply VAT Exemption to counselling and psychotherapy to make sessions more affordable and also to ensure parity of esteem with other health professionals.
The IACP is calling for equal treatment for those accessing counselling and psychotherapy services in terms of tax relief and VAT exemption. This would also create parity of esteem for the profession of counselling and psychotherapy with other health care professions.
In order to address the growing need for timely access to counselling and psychotherapy services for children and young people, funding should be provided to expand the pilot Programme of Counselling in Primary Schools to all primary and second level schools.
The proposals contained in the IACP’s pre-budget submission would not only improve and increase access for individuals to essential therapeutic supports, but it would also help to alleviate the demand on an already over-burdened public mental health system, in particular access for our young people.
These proposals would help realise the aim of the IACP in establishing universal access to counselling and psychotherapy for all individuals who need mental health supports.
Lisa Molloy, IACP’s Chief Executive Officer, said:
“The Pilot Programme of Counselling in Primary Schools is an historic first step in establishing school counselling in Ireland. However, additional investment is needed to ensure that counselling supports are a reality for all primary and secondary schools in the country.”
Following the impact of Covid-19 and related restrictions, concerns over children’s mental health have increased. Nationally representative general public surveys, commissioned by the IACP and conducted by Behaviour & Attitudes (B&A) over the last number of years, consistently demonstrate the public’s support for this essential service, with almost 9 in 10 supporting the idea of counselling/psychotherapy being made available through schools.
There is an urgent need for services to address this, and this initiative is a critical step towards giving our children and young people access to the help they need, when they need it.”
Lisa Molloy continued:
“Fully extending tax relief to include counselling and psychotherapy, as a qualifying health expense will make it more affordable to people who need mental health supports. Access to psychotherapy and counselling services are essential and should be considered as equally important as access to physical health services. We need to create parity of esteem between physical and mental health care.”
Research data shows that not being able to afford therapy is the biggest reason that discourages people from seeking help. A nationally representative general public survey, commissioned by the IACP and conducted by Behaviour & Attitudes (B&A) in June 2023 found that 50% of those surveyed said that cost is a barrier to accessing mental health supports. That figure has almost doubled since we asked the same question in 2019.
In the 2023 survey, almost 9 in 10 (88%) of Irish adults think that counselling/psychotherapy should be included as a tax relief/benefit similar to other areas such as medical expenses, dental and eye care.
The IACP is seeking the help of its members and the public to ensure that Counselling and Psychotherapy are represented in Budget 2024. Individuals can help to ensure that the Irish Government recognises the IACP proposals by contacting their local politicians by using the following platform to send a customised email to their representatives in the Oireachtas.
ENDS.
For further information, or to arrange an interview with an IACP Spokesperson, please contact Nicole Mac Dermott, IACP Communications Supervisor 087 720 6033 or Wayne Tobin, IACP Communications Officer on 089 214 2276 or email communications@iacp.ie.
NOTES TO THE EDITOR:
● School Counselling and Psychotherapy Initiative: Give children & young people access to the help they need when they need it.
● Tax Relief: Extend tax relief to include counselling & psychotherapy as a qualifying health expense and make it more affordable to people in need.
● VAT Exemption: Give equity of treatment & parity of esteem to mental health professionals with peers who deliver physical health care.
About IACP:
The IACP was established in 1981 to identify, develop and maintain professional standards of excellence in counselling and psychotherapy. Our work promotes best practice and the development of the profession. The IACP represents more than 5,600 members based in communities all over the country and is the largest counselling and psychotherapy association in Ireland.
Read the full Pre-Budget Submission here
More information is available from the IACP’s website http://www.iacp.ie
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