The Department of Health has defended the decision not to include local hospitals in the roll-out of new specialist mental health nursing teams for emergency departments.
The response follows criticism after it emerged some hospitals were omitted from the initial phase announced as part of Budget 2026.
As part of the package, 2-point-8 million euro will fund new out-of-hours specialist mental health nursing teams in the emergency departments of all Model 4 hospitals.
However, Sligo University, Portiuncula and Mullingar hospitals were not included in the list.
Minister Mary Butler says it would not be possible to establish the service across all 28 emergency hospitals within a single year.
The Minister says the Department of Health and the HSE intend to expand the teams to Model 3 hospitals, including Sligo University Hospital, as part of future budgets.
The Minister has also highlighted the supports already available in the north west, pointing to Sligo's Crisis Resolution Service, which provides rapid assessment and intensive community-based support seven days a week.
