The burden of trauma following the pandemic will have a profound impact on mental health services for years to come unless the government prioritise more resources for primary care providers.
That's the warning from the group Mental Health Reform who have written to Taoiseach Micheál Martin ahead of next weeks' Budget.
The letter has been signed by the CEO's of over 50 groups including Pieta House, Samaritans, the Union of Students in Ireland and Childline.
Mental Health practitioners say they have seen a huge increase in the amount of people looking to access mental health services since the outbreak of the pandemic, with many saying the past year and a half has disproportionate impact on marginalised groups.
Speaking to RedFM News, Hugh Morley from Cork Counselling Services says the future of mental health services can be shaped now.
"The general level of anxiety is universal I would suggest.
"But how that then impacts the marginalised in terms of people whoa re dealing with more chronic issues of depression, or family breakups, relationship breakups, stress and anger management, those kind of things - they're very much affected by the added anxiety.
"So we need to be there for those people, and it is very much our intention to be there for the long haul."
