Inspire Public Affairs Update 20-10-25

Inspire’s public affairs update seeks to highlight information on policy, decision making and public opinion relating to mental health, addictions, intellectual disability and autism.

On 9th October, the Northern Ireland Assembly’s Committee for Health hosted a departmental briefing on the review of the deliverability of the Mental Health Strategy 2021-2031.

• Officials provided the Committee with an update on the recently published review of the Strategy.
• They presented figures relating to the cost to the economy of high rates of mental illness.
• They stressed a lack of resources and confirmed that only 16% of the necessary funding had been allocated to the Strategy. The Strategy contains 35 actions and 15 have neither commenced nor been funded.
• Consequently, the Strategy’s scope will now be scaled back.
• MLAs voiced their concerns about the lack of progress on the Strategy but also focused many of their responses on the vital role of the voluntary and community sector in delivering services.
• They asked why such essential partners are so often at risk of funding cuts.
• The officials praised the role of the sector and said that it will be a key part of workforce considerations going forward.

Professor Siobhán O’Neill, the Mental Health Champion for Northern Ireland, later told the BBC that the updated direction of travel was “absolutely devastating”.

• On 16th October, the Committee for Health convened at NICON, Northern Ireland’s health and social care conference. MLAs heard from former MP and Secretary of State for Health Alan Milburn, who presented evidence on the UK Government’s 10-Year Health Plan for England.
• Mr Milburn, who is now the lead non-executive member to the board of the Department of Health and Social Care, spoke about how technology and AI can change healthcare provision for the better.
• He urged the Executive to buy time for successful reform, suggesting that outcomes, rather than structures, should be a primary focus. and concentrate.
• He claimed that long waiting lists can result in “cultural fatalism” within the National Health Service but that prevention must overtake the “treatment-first mindset” for significant policy changes to take hold.

• On 14th October, MLAs debated a motion on the closure of the community crisis intervention service in the North West.
• Mark H. Durkan MLA introduced the motion, stating: “Those community-based services are not optional extras. They are literal lifelines.”
• Fellow Foyle MLAs also contributed. Ciara Ferguson said that investment in mental health is a commitment to the wellbeing and safety of every citizen, while Gary Middleton was critical of short-term savings “that come at the expense of long-term wellbeing.”
• Pádraig Delargy contended that “the Department of Health refused to prioritise mental health services, refused to prioritise intervention services and refused to prioritise services that are being cut in the North West.”
• Health Committee member Danny Donnelly, who represents East Antrim, described the “mental health crisis” as being about more than a cost with no context on a budget document. The cost of not preventing it is arguably much greater, and that needs to be addressed.”
• In his response to these statements, the Minister of Health, Mike Nesbitt, pointed out that the service had not seen its funding removed. Instead, he stated, it had failed in its application for fresh core grant resourcing. Later, he added: “I had a meeting today to look at next year’s financial position, which is bleak. There is no other way to put it. We are in for rough waters over the rest of the mandate.”

• Later that day, Colm Gildernew led an adjournment debate focusing on Woodlawn House, a respite centre for adult intellectual disability in Dungannon.
• Current challenges including disrupted services, high staff attrition rates and emotional strain on ageing carers. He urged the Minister to intervene directly.
• The Minister confirmed that while temporary closures and reduced services were necessary for safety, efforts are underway to restore full provision, including recruitment of band 5 nurses, introduction of trainee posts and enhanced governance measures.
• He also outlined broader strategic work, including a regional learning disability service model currently under consultation, aimed at increasing short break capacity across Northern Ireland.

Tuesday 21st October

All-Party Group on Suicide Prevention, Room 29, 1:00pm

Thursday 23rd October

Committee for Communities, Room 29, 10:00am

– Minister for Communities: Quarterly oral briefing, Mr Gordon Lyons, Minister for Communities

Committee for Health, Room 29, 2:00pm