David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

This would be pretty dreadful.I have experience from 30 or 40 years ago of visiting the then Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum, where I witnessed staff going around with trays of drugs and allowing people pick up handfuls of them. Those patients were zombies: they were out of their skulls. I do not think this practice continues and would be very surprised if it did. These amendments deal with the last vestiges of that and will ensure that drugs are not inappropriately used. Drugs are for a specific purpose and should not be used to punish people. The idea of using medication to punish a mentally-ill person is absolutely repugnant.

Amendment No. 245 makes it perfectly clear, following the definition in amendment No. 5, that the Act shall not be interpreted in such a manner as to allow the administration of drugs or medicines in such a way - either to restrain or punish. However, it makes provision in subsection (2) for the medical administration of drugs. In other words, in cases where they are being administered to treat a particular medical condition, that is not to be considered as chemical restraint.