Mary Butler

The 202-section Mental Health Bill 2024, which will replace the existing Mental Health Act 2001, cleared second stage in the Dáil last September but fell when the election was called.

It has now been restored to the Oireachtas legislative programme and the new government has described its enactment as a priority.

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, as well as an overhauled approach to consent to treatment for involuntarily admitted people.

It also expands the Mental Health Commission’s regulatory function to include all community mental health residences and services, including all community CAMHS.

Some of its changes are intended to bring mental health law into “closer alignment” with the principles of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Acts 2015 and 2022.

The legislation will now proceed to consideration at committee stage in the Dáil in the coming weeks.

Mary Butler, the minister of state for mental health, said: “I’m very happy to be able to continue the work of the last number of years to progress this vitally important bill.

“We need to enact this legislation in order to modernise mental health legislation and to put in place the necessary safeguards to ensure the rights of people with mental health difficulties are protected in the decades to come.

“The bill will also benefit all people who access a wide range of mental health services by introducing, for the first time, a comprehensive system of registration and regulation of community mental health services, including all community CAMHS.”

Ms Butler, a so-called “super junior” minister, added: “The enactment of this bill has been a longstanding priority for me and for the government, and I was delighted to bring the bill to second stage last year, where there was a positive debate on its provisions.

“It was also an honour to sit at the Cabinet table this week when the government made the decision to put this legislation back on the Dáil order paper.

“I am looking forward to working with colleagues in the Dáil to progress the bill through the remaining stages in the coming weeks.”