Mental Health Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed)
Seanad Éireann — 2026-01-29
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Nicole Ryan (SF), Administrative Panel

I move amendment No. 319:
In page 124, between lines 15 and 16, to insert the following:
“ “community mental health services” means a mental health service which provides either urgent or routine care and treatment in a place other than a registered acute mental health centre or registered community mental health centre, including such services as crisis intervention teams.”.
This amendment clarifies the definition of "community mental health services" so that it explicitly includes services providing "urgent or routine care and treatment" outside the registered acute mental health centres, including crisis intervention teams. The way we define services in legislation determines how they are funded, structured and prioritised. If a community mental health service is defined narrowly, it is treated as an add-on. If it is defined clearly and expansively, it is a core pillar of the system. This amendment recognises that mental healthcare does not just happen in hospitals - it happens in homes, communities, crisis hubs, primary care centres, outreach services and mobile crisis teams and this is where people need most support. Crisis intervention teams are one of the most effective ways to prevent hospital admissions, de-escalate distress, support people in their own environments and reduce pressure on emergency departments yet too often these teams are treated as pilot projects rather than essential services. By explicitly including crisis intervention teams in the statutory definition of "community mental health services", this amendment embeds them into law, strengthens their standing and supports their expansion. It sends a clear message that crisis care belongs in the community and not just behind hospital doors. People in mental health crisis do not need to be automatically transported into an acute unit. Often they need immediate support, skilled assessment, practical intervention and follow-up care. Community-based services allow people to receive care in familiar surroundings close to family and supports. Internationally, mental health systems are moving away from institutionalised models and towards home-based care, community outreach, early intervention and multidisciplinary teams. This amendment aligns Irish law in that direction.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-01-29/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:34+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-01-29