Seanad debates
Wednesday, 19 February 2003
Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2002: Second Stage.
With regard to what has been said about those who find themselves in different conditions and predicaments in the community, those people have not been given the benefit of appropriate resources devolved to community level. I am talking of community psychiatric nurses who visit patients in community residences and those who have gone a step beyond that and have been discharged into the home. It is well known that psychiatric patients often believe that medication will make them worse. Because they are feeling well, they do not feel they should take their medication. They do not appreciate that they are feeling well because they are taking the medication. They have all sorts of problems and find themselves on the wrong side of the law and availing of the services that Senator Ryan would have been associated with over the years. Many situations must be taken into consideration.
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