Mental Health Bill 2024: From the Seanad
Dail Éireann — 2026-04-29
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Mary Butler (FF), Waterford

I thank Deputies for the debate today on this landmark legislation to update and modernise our mental health laws. The enactment of this Bill has been a long-standing priority for me and for the Government, and I am very proud to see it being passed here today. The Bill will now go to Uachtarán na hÉireann for her consideration. This is once-in-a-generation legislation. The previous Mental Health Act was enacted in 2001 by our current Taoiseach. The previous legislation was enacted in 1945. The Bill that we are passing here today will stand the test of time. I hope it will be in place for many years - if not decades - to come.
Táim bródúil as a bheith i mo Aire Stáit chun an dlí seo a rith, a tháinig uair amháin i nglúin, chun feabhas a chur ar ár seirbhísí sláinte meabhrach. Agus é sin á dhéanamh againn, cuirfimid daoine i gcroílár a gcúraim féin agus léireoimid meas ar a gcearta agus a roghanna. We are concluding the legislative process relating to this Bill after 45 hours of debate across both Houses. I published this Bill in July 2024 and brought it to Second Stage that September. I was pleased to see the level of interest in the Bill in both Houses. We had many hours of productive debate on the provisions of the Bill. I thank every Deputy and Senator who took the time to speak on the Bill and to propose amendments.
The purpose of this Bill is to introduce a more person-centred, human rights-based approach to mental health services in statute. It will empower people accessing mental health services to make decisions about their own care and treatment – respecting their voice and choice. This Bill will regulate all community mental health services for the first time, including all community CAMHS and all community residences. This Bill will allow 16- and 17-year-olds to consent to their mental health treatment on the same basis as consent to physical health treatment. This Bill introduces a suite of new safeguards around the involuntary admission and detention process, including the use of restrictive practice and the administration of treatment to people lacking capacity.
The final version of the Bill before us today is over 200 pages long. It contains 268 sections. Each line of the Bill has been considered by officials in my Department and been the subject of thorough debate with the drafters in the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel.
A Bill of this size and complexity takes time. I am delighted that I have been able to oversee this Bill from the publication of the draft heads right through to enactment. The Bill will now go to the President for her consideration. I look forward to getting into the details of commencement and implementation as soon as possible.
I thank Deputies Paul McAuliffe, Sorca Clarke, Marie Sherlock, Liam Quaide and Michael Collins for supporting the final version of this Bill. It is very telling that the former Opposition spokesperson on mental health, who was very supportive of the Bill, Deputy Mark Ward, is here. I acknowledge all his work over the period; it has taken quite a few years to reach this point.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-04-29/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-21T01:01:08+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-04-29