Mental Health Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed)
Seanad Éireann — 2026-01-22
============================================================

Nessa Cosgrove (LAB), Labour Panel

I move amendment No. 155:
In page 69, between lines 6 and 7, to insert the following:
“Chemical Restraint
57. (1) A chemical restraint shall not be applied in respect of a person receiving treatment in a registered acute mental health centre or designated centre unless—
(a) the restraint is ordered and initiated by a relevant health professional,
(b) the restraint is applied to the person by a relevant health professional or a specified person under the direct supervision of a relevant health professional,
(c) the application of such restraint is determined by the relevant health professional, in accordance with regulations made under section 58 , to be necessary where there is an immediate threat of serious harm to the person or to another person, or where it is necessary for the administering of treatment to the person concerned, and the chemical restraint concerned complies with regulations under section 58 .
(2) The Mental Health Commission shall conduct a comprehensive review of the use of medication, specifically including rapid tranquillisers and PRN (pro re nata or “as needed”) sedatives across all psychiatric institutions, with particular attention to the risks of overmedication and the potential use of such medications as chemical restraint. Following this review, the Commission shall develop and issue clear guidelines governing their appropriate use.”.

---

Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted.

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