Mental Health Services: Young People

(asked on 3rd March 2026) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive on improving access to mental health support for adolescents in Northern Ireland.


Answered by
Zubir Ahmed Portrait
Zubir Ahmed
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
This question was answered on 11th March 2026

Health is a devolved matter, and responsibility for improving access to mental health services in Northern Ireland, including for adolescents, sits with the Northern Ireland Executive.

The Government works closely with the devolved administrations on shared health challenges, including mental health. Ministers meet regularly with their counterparts through intergovernmental forums such as the Interministerial Group for Health and Social Care.

At the Interministerial Group for Health and Social Care in April 2025, ministers discussed common priorities across the four governments on mental health, including the importance of early support for children and young people delivered in schools and community settings. The Government remains committed to continuing to work with the Northern Ireland Executive and the other devolved administrations to share learning and approaches to improving mental health support.

Reticulating Splines