Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 20 June 2018

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Future of Mental Health Care

Deficiencies in Mental Health Services: Discussion

1:30 pm

Photo of Joan FreemanJoan Freeman (Independent)
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Thank you, Deputy. We will wind up the meeting now. My concerns have come to the fore today, in particular with the Mental Health Commission. I see the value and the necessity of the Mental Health Commission when it is investigating involuntary admissions. There has to be an adequate for people who have no voice. However, I do not see the point of the role of the Mental Health Commission going around to the child and adolescent mental health services, etc. when nothing is happening. I query strongly the relationship between the Mental Health Commission and the Department of Health and I would like to have some discussion about that at a later stage.

I thank Mr. Saunders, Ms Smyth, Dr. Wrigley, Dr. Niall Muldoon, Dr. Karen McAuley and, more than anybody else, Ms Margaret Brennan. I would say to her that when it comes to making changes, the only thing I have seen work in recent years is when the people are behind us. We need the entire public to get behind us on this issue and then we really will see changes.