CALLS to secure future funding of the CAST pilot project in Limerick have been raised in the Dáil.
The Community Access Support team, which kicked off in 2025, is a pioneering pilot project that pairs An Garda Síochána with HSE mental health professionals to work with people experiencing mental health crises or situational trauma.
Speaking in the Dáil, Labour TD for Limerick City Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Health if any dedicated capital funding from the €1.6billion in Budget 2026 for mental health has been ring-fenced to expand the pilot project.
Mary Butler, Minister of State with responsibility for mental health, said: “The pilot project has been funded on a joint basis from within existing overall resources and did not require the type of funding suggested by the Deputy.”
“An evaluation of CAST will be finalised this year which will provide an evidence base that will help inform next steps, including any potential rollout of this model of care as appropriate nationally in the future and any financial resources needed for this.
“The recommendations from the evaluation will be considered by the Department of Health and Department of Justice, alongside key stakeholders.”
Deputy Sheehan told the Dáil that “there has been phenomenal feedback to this service on the ground from An Garda Síochána, to the HSE, to everyone who works in crisis mental health services”.
“There is a research report due to be published in conjunction with the University of Limerick which will formally lay out the findings of the pilot.
“However, we do not need the findings of the research review to know that this service must be mainstreamed and funded on an ongoing basis.
“Preliminary data indicates that over three-quarters of interactions had a major positive impact on the individuals involved and that this project successfully bridges the gap between law enforcement and healthcare, drastically reducing trauma for people in distress.”