Seanad debates
Thursday, 7 November 2002
Report of the Inspector of Mental Hospitals, 2001: Statements.
I am alarmed that there was no mention by the Minister of State of what the inspector sees as the serious misuse of section 208 of the Mental Health Act, 1945, the legislation we work under at present. I refer the Minister of State to pages 38 and 41 of the report where it states that section 208 allowed for the transfer to the Central Mental Hospital from local psychiatric services if the latter felt they did not have appropriate facilities to treat such patients. The transfers became possible under a Supreme Court judgment in 1994 and these patients were generally considered to be a danger to themselves and others because of their mental illness.
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