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Govt signs off on largest overhaul of Ireland's mental health law after years of delays

The long-awaited Mental Health Amendment Bill was approved for publication today.

A LONG AWAITED bill to overhaul of Ireland’s mental health laws has been approved for publication after protracted delays. 

The legislation will update the Mental Health Act 2001. 

It is close to ten years since an expert group tasked with reviewing the Mental Health Act 2001 recommended 165 changes to the law.

The proposed legislation would strengthen regulation around people consenting to the type of treatment they receive.

It will also regulate all community Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) which currently fall outside the scope of regulation set out under the 2001 Act.

Detention 

The bill provides for an updated involuntary admission and detention process for people with severe mental health difficulties, including a revised set of criteria for admission.

It also reforms the approach to consent to treatment for involuntarily admitted people.

Stronger safeguards for people accessing inpatient treatment also forms part of the legislation, which also includes provisions to allow 16 and 17-year-olds to consent to or refuse mental health treatment.

While the progress is welcomed by the Mental Health Commission, no timeline has been given as to when the legislation will pass.

Threat of election

A spokesperson for the Department of Health states that as the Dáil is in recess until 16 September 2024, it will not be possible to bring the Bill through all stages of the legislative process by the end of September.

If a general election is called, which is expected to take place in autumn, the bill will fall at the dissolution of the Oireachtas.

The decision to reconstitute the bill will be taken by the next government, they confirmed, stating that if this occurs, it will re-enter the legislative process at the stage it reached prior to the dissolution of the previous Oireachtas. 

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said the legislation is an opportunity to put in place more robust, person-centric mental health legislation that will further modernise, reform and protect the rights of people with mental health difficulties in the decades ahead. 

Minister of State Mary Butler said the bill has been a personal priority of for her throughout her times as minister. The minister said she is looking forward to moving the bill in the Houses of the Oireachtas in the autumn, stating she is committed to progressing the bill as quickly as possible.

Dr John Hillery of the Mental Health Commission welcomed the progress with the Bill, stating “we can now look forward to the Act being signed into law in the not-too-distant future”. 

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    Mute Temp Stuff
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    Mar 25th 2025, 12:42 PM

    Just change his name to Brian Adriscoll and sorted!

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    Mute Luas Vuitton - Penneys Drag Queen
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    Mar 25th 2025, 1:36 PM

    @Temp Stuff: is he the one married to Amy Youtuberman?

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    Mute David O Brien
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    Mar 25th 2025, 12:48 PM

    Looks very angry in that picture

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    Mute Jonathan Sheridan
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    Mar 25th 2025, 12:52 PM

    @David O Brien: Not exactly the crime of the century but the picture is a great choice.

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    Mute p gert
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    Mar 25th 2025, 3:44 PM

    @David O Brien: Just smelt one.

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    Mute David O Brien
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    Mar 25th 2025, 4:13 PM

    @p gert: Ha ha, that could be it.

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    Mute Susan Walsh
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    Mar 25th 2025, 2:19 PM

    Hold on Caroline O’Mahony isn’t allowed to promote her own business on her own page? What? I mean I’m all for labelling ads on social media by individuals but surely if the individual is promoting their own business that’s named after them, it’s really obvious? Does that mean that someone couldn’t promote their own podcast or book for example on their own page without the hashtag?

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    Mute Luas Vuitton - Penneys Drag Queen
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    Mar 25th 2025, 1:31 PM

    Add #ad is the requirement? Lets not worry about the actual BS they promote.

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    Mute ben wu
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    Mar 25th 2025, 1:52 PM

    @Luas Vuitton – Penneys Drag Queen: The bare minimum should be to label paid sponsor spots as being *paid*.
    That a lot of them have zero morals beyond how much they can milk off the audience, saddens me.

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    Mute larry smith
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    Mar 25th 2025, 1:24 PM

    C.O.D

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    Mute p gert
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    Mar 25th 2025, 3:43 PM

    Bodacious.

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