Crisis resolution service to be set up in Midlands after €1.3m budget allocation

Fine Gael TD for Offaly, John Clendennen, has welcomed confirmation from the Minister for Mental Health, Mary Butler TD, that a new Crisis Resolution Service will be established in the Midlands region (Tullamore/Westmeath) as part of the 2026 mental health budget.

He said the significant investment will deliver €1.3 million in annual funding and create 10 new full-time staff positions, strengthening community-based mental health supports across the region.

The Midlands service forms part of the national roll-out of Crisis Resolution Services, following the successful launch of a similar initiative in Sligo and new services planned for Donegal and Kerry.

The Crisis Resolution Service will include two key elements: Crisis Resolution Teams, providing rapid assessment and short-term intensive support for adults in crisis. These multidisciplinary teams will offer flexible, community-based care delivered at home, in the community, or virtually, for up to six weeks.

Operating extended hours, the teams aim to provide a seven-day service, ensuring help is available when it is needed most. Solace Cafés, operating in the evenings and at weekends, will offer safe, non-clinical, and welcoming spaces for people experiencing distress. Visitors will have access to peer, psychosocial, and recovery supports, as well as links to other local mental health and wellbeing services.

Welcoming the announcement, Deputy Clendennen said: “This is a very significant and positive development for mental health services in Tullamore. The new Crisis Resolution Service in Tullamore and Westmeath will provide vital, immediate support for people in distress, helping them to access care close to home.

“I want to thank Minister Mary Butler for her continued commitment to expanding community-based mental health services, ensuring that people can get the right support at the right time, in the right place.”

Fianna Fáil Deputy Tony McCormack added that the new investment “shows real commitment from Government to strengthen mental health care at a local level.

“Every community should have somewhere people can turn when they’re struggling, without stigma and without delay. This new service will make that a reality for people here in Tullamore and the Midlands,” he said.

The new service will be developed and implemented by the HSE, with staff recruitment expected to begin in line with 2026 budget allocations.