A lack of government funding for training of psychiatric doctors Ireland is "detrimental" to patients and has had a "major knock-on effect" on mental health services, the president of the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland has said.

Dr Lorcan Martin, a consultant in general adult psychiatry, said that current funding of €1.3 million for doctors to train to be specialists in psychiatry was under 70% of what is needed to meet demand.

He said that this continuous funding shortfall was a major contributor to psychiatry trainee and specialist consultant burnout, poorer patient outcomes and significant recruitment and retention problems for mental health services.
 
Dr Martin noted that the College recruitment process for psychiatry training, which takes from six to eight years, indicates increasing interest and eligibility for that training. However, the additional posts and funding to reflect that interest have not been provided. The number of trainees completing the specialism each year, and the training posts currently allocated, fall far short of the HSE agreed target of 835 specialist consultant psychiatrists required by 2028.
 
Speaking ahead of his address to non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs) in psychiatry at the College of Psychiatrists’ annual conference, Dr Martin said that current funding for training doctors to be specialists in psychiatry was at least €600,000 short of what is needed. He added that the current overall budget for mental health services (approximately €1.2 billion) should be doubled at a minimum, and which is in line with international norms and our own Sláintecare policy.
 
"Our psychiatry doctors in training are the consultants of the future and they should be given the very best chance to succeed, but instead they are facing a highly stressful and at times unsupportive working environment," he said.

"At present we are underfunded, under-resourced and under-appreciated, and the net result ultimately has been detrimental to Irish patients. There are not enough psychiatrist doctors to meet demand, which makes it harder on those who do stay in this country."