Waterford community services to receive over €100,000 for men's mental health and talk therapy initiatives
Chairman of St Brigid's FRC Billy O'Keeffe pictured alongside Government Chief Whip & Minister for Mental Health Mary Butler TD
St Brigid's Family and Community Centre in Waterford City is set to receive €100,460 in new mental health funding.
This funding comes from a major national expansion of community-based counselling and talk therapy services backed by a €3 million investment which was secured by Waterford TD and Minister for Mental Health, Mary Butler.
As part of the new initiative, St Brigid's Family & Community Centre has been selected as one of only three family resource centres nationally to participate in the new Men Connect programme. They will receive €40,000 this year to get the programme up and running, and €80,000 in recurring annual funding from 2027 onwards.
The centre will also benefit from an additional €20,460 allocation through the new partnership between the HSE and Community Therapy Ireland, supporting free counselling sessions delivered locally.
Welcoming the announcement, Minister Butler said: "I am really pleased to announce that Waterford will directly benefit from two significant national mental health initiatives that I secured through Budget 2026."
"This funding will strengthen local services, expand access to counselling and ensure more people can receive support close to home when they need it," she said.
The new Men Connect programme builds on the success of the government's men's free counselling initiative, which was launched in September last year.
More than 5,200 men have already accessed counselling and support services through the national programme, with over 18,000 counselling sessions delivered to date.
Minister Butler added: "We know that many men can find it difficult to seek help, and that is why it is so important to make supports available in familiar and accessible community locations.”
“St Brigid’s Family & Community Centre has a strong track record of supporting families and individuals across the county, and I am confident that this investment will make a real difference in helping more men engage with mental health services at an earlier stage," she said.
"Community organisations play a vital role in supporting mental health and wellbeing. By securing this investment nationally, we are ensuring that communities like Waterford receive real, tangible benefits through expanded counselling services and improved access to professional supports."
