Mental Health Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed)
Seanad Éireann — 2026-01-22
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Nessa Cosgrove (LAB), Labour Panel

I move amendment No. 149:
In page 67, lines 4 and 5, to delete all words from and including “a proposed” on line 4, down to and including line 5 and substitute the following:
“electro-convulsive therapy, this treatment will not be involuntarily administered unless the person has:
(a) a relevant decision-making representative,
(b) a valid and relevant advance healthcare directive, or
(c) a relevant designated healthcare representative appointed under an advance healthcare directive relevant to the treatment concerned and that representative consents to electro-convulsive therapy, or the advance healthcare directive specifies that there is consent to electro-convulsive therapy.”.
We strongly recommend the Government's proposal to ban electroconvulsive therapy for children.
This legislation should make that explicit. We think that electroconvulsive therapy, ECT, should only be administered where an individual has provenly given informed consent. This safeguard is essential, given the significant concerns raised by people with lived experience. I have spoken to people about this matter and many of them have described ECT as traumatic and causing significant side effects. We have heard directly from individuals who fear that ECT could be imposed upon them against their expressed wishes if they are later deemed to lack capacity. Therefore, it is essential to embed a clear legal requirement for informed consent because it would help to protect the rights of individuals and ensure that their autonomy and preferences are respected.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-01-22/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:32+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-01-22