A COUNSELLING service directed at men aged between 30 and 50 has seen such strong demand that it will be rolled out in three further counties across Ireland.
Aimed at targeting those within the “high suicide risk” age group, the Men’s Free Counselling programme first launched in September 2025 backed by a €2m allocation in Government funding.
It provided a range of free supports, including face-to-face, phone and online counselling, and was designed to increase engagement with its target demographic.
More than 5,200 men have used the services since its launch and over 18,000 counselling sessions have been delivered through it, the Government confirmed this week.
Due to such strong demand for the service, it is now being expanded with a new ‘Men Connect’ programme set to launch across three Family Resource Centres in counties Monaghan, Sligo and Waterford.
Health Minister Mary Butler announced the new schemes this week“The ‘Men Connect’ model is being piloted to provide wraparound supports through dedicated outreach, mental health promotion, and counselling services,” a spokesperson for the Department of Health confirmed.
Health Minister Mary Butler confirmed the new services while announcing a major expansion of community-based counselling more generally across the country, backed by government funding of €3m.
“The response to the Men’s Mental Health Initiative has been extremely encouraging,” she said.
“More than 5,200 men have already come forward to access support, many of them for the first time,” she explained.
“This demonstrates the importance of providing services that are accessible, stigma-free and responsive to people’s needs.”
She added: “Men account for approximately 80 per cent of deaths by suicide in Ireland. It is vital that we continue to break down barriers to help-seeking and ensure that men can access support when they need it.
“We are now expanding the programme through a new partnership with Family Resource Centres. FRCs are at the heart of nearly every community in Ireland, and this initiative will further build on our approach of meeting men wherever they are.”
Minister Butler has also confirmed €1m in funding to expand community-based counselling and psychotherapy services across the country through a new partnership between the HSE and Community Therapy Ireland.
Established in 2008, Community Therapy Ireland represents 29 counselling and psychotherapy organisations delivering professional, accessible services in communities across the country.
The new investment will support increased counselling capacity in communities across Ireland through the delivery of 9,000 counselling sessions.
The minister confirmed the funding will be targeted to new clients, in particular young people and LGBTQ+ people.
“Community organisations play a vital role in supporting mental health and wellbeing at local level," she said.
"Our partnership with Community Therapy Ireland will help expand access to counselling services across the country while strengthening quality, governance and outcomes.
"This is about ensuring that people receive the right support, in the right place, at the right time.”
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