Mental Health Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed)
Seanad Éireann — 2026-01-28
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Mary Butler (FF), Waterford

As Senators may be aware, a consultant psychiatrist is the only person who can make an order to detain someone involuntarily under the Mental Health Act. It is a huge responsibility and must only be done as a last resort. When a person is under the care of a consultant psychiatrist, that psychiatrist is responsible for that person and has legal responsibility for their care and treatment. This means the psychiatrist is the person who is liable for the person receiving treatment. Considering the central role of psychiatrists in the involuntary admission of people to inpatient mental health services and the central role of psychiatry in mental health services, it makes sense that the clinical director of an inpatient mental health service be a consultant psychiatrist and that the chief inspector of mental health services continue to be a consultant psychiatrist. I was not aware we were in critically short supply of consultant psychiatrists. We have some vacancies, but it is not an issue the Irish College of Psychiatry has raised with me.
I cannot support amendments Nos. 313, 330 and 331. A responsible consultant psychiatrist is required, as the role demands the clinical expertise, medical knowledge and independent judgment necessary to inspect and report on the quality of mental health services. A consultant psychiatrist is a fully qualified and experienced medical doctor who specialises in diagnosing and treating mental illness. That is the necessary authority and perspective for the role.
It may be that there can be circumstances in community settings but that would certainly not be the case in an inpatient facility.

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Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:33+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-01-28