The founder of Pieta House has hit out at Enda Kenny for taking part in Darkness Into Light but not increasing mental health funding.

Joan Freeman says she is surprised that the Taoiseach had "the neck" to take part, when funding for the area has remained static.

It's just after 6am here in Toronto - a huge crowd for #DIL2017 - if you are suffering please share your pain - you are never alone. pic.twitter.com/9fWdA491jk — Enda Kenny (@EndaKennyTD) May 6, 2017

Over the weekend it emerged Fianna Fáil had accused Kenny of breaching its Government deal over last year's mental health funding.

Ms Freeman said that the Taoiseach should have increased funding when he was challenged about it by Fianna Fáil.

"I'm just surprised that the leader of our country has the neck, basically, to walk in Darkness into Light, and then insist, when this is brought up by Micheál Martin that Helen McEntee, who has no power whatsoever, to meet with the spokesperson with Fianna Fáil, and that is going to resolve everything," she said.

.@SenJoanFreeman calls out the taoiseach for having the neck to support Darkness into Light and cut the mental health budget.#DIL2017 pic.twitter.com/Dc78erA47V — Newsworthy_ie (@newsworthy_ie) May 9, 2017

She added that mental health needs to be funded properly to be taken seriously.

"As usual, mental health is always the Cinderella of all the social issues and is always the one where the money is removed and places a stopgap for some other area that the Taoiseach so wishes to fill," she said.

"I'm calling for the Taoiseach to meet with Micheál Martin - but I would like to attend that meeting as well - to tell him the truth about what's happening in our nation."