Minister of State with has special responsibility for Mental Health at the Department of Health Kathleen Lynch TD, has established a steering group to review the provisions of the Mental Health Act 2001. The public and stakeholders have also been invited to make submissions on the issue under review.
The group are required to look at the general operation of the Act since its commencement; the extent to which the recommendations of ‘A Vision for Change’ could or should be underpinned by legislation; the provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities; and the current economic environment.
The Mental Health Act 2001 brings Irish mental health law into line with the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. The Government made a commitment to “review the Mental Health Act 2001 in consultation with service users, carers and other stakeholders, informed by human rights standards, and introduce a Mental Capacity Bill that is in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.”