An extra €10 million has been allocated to mental health services, with much of it to go towards Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).
Some of the funding will be aimed at reducing waiting lists, with the most recent figures putting the number waiting at just under 4,000.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly told a national mental health conference in Dublin that mental health services are an absolute priority for the Government.
He said that in 2020, the funding for this area was €970m and has now increased by a third to €1.3 billion this year.
Mr Donnelly said that as with the wider health service, some mental health teams are working well, while others are not.
He said that extra money must go hand-in-hand with reform.
The conference organised by the Department of Health and the HSE heard that there are now seven Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder adult teams and five early intervention in psychosis teams in place.
Ian Power, chief executive of the youth mental health support organisation, Spunout, said that more investment is needed in primary care and talking therapies.
He said there needs to be access to health services for young people earlier, so that problems can be addressed as they arise, and not get to a situation where a young person may need specialist care.
