To ask the Minister of Health, pursuant to AQW 9419/17-22, whether additional funding will be made available during the current financial year to help mental health services, including eating disorder services, to respond to demand arising from the ongoing pandemic.

I refer to my response to AQO 1071/17-22 which provides details of additional funding that my Department has made available for mental health services in 2020/21. No further additional funding is available in this financial year.

At the start of the pandemic arrangements were put in place to mitigate and address the impact of Covid-19. The Mental Health Action Plan which was published on 19 May included a dedicated Covid-19 Mental Health Response Plan. This plan set out the mental health response to the pandemic and outlined specific actions, such as:

the development of an online apps library to help and support self-help;

provision of free Stress Control classes online;

rollout of psychological first aid training to staff and volunteers on the front line;

a range of other online resources to support staff, children and young people, students joining the workforce early, and those bereaved during this time.