Dr. Charles O'Mahony:

You should be able to avail of advocacy in the community as well. With regard to the general scheme, advocacy needs to be put on a statutory footing. It is recognised in the general scheme but there is no provision made for it and no funding source provided so that is quite meaningless in the current format. It is very clear that, for advocacy to be effective and independent, it has to be independent of the HSE, the Mental Health Commission and the decision-making support service. That should also be specified in the legislation. It also needs to be peer-led. It is a core requirement that people with lived experience lead the advocacy service. There needs to be statutory provisions to ensure that advocates live up to the role and funding needs to be provided. It is also core that advocates receive human rights training relating to the United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the European Convention on Human Rights. That is core if we are to have an effective independent advocacy service.