David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The two amendments hang together very clearly. The first one is a definition and I cannot see why it should be rejected. It states that "chemical restraint" is the intentional use of medication to control or modify a person’s behaviour or to ensure a patient is compliant" - in other words, to dose them down. It is an emergency fire department response to the situation.

Importantly, the amendment also indicates that this is in a situation where the administration of these kinds of drugs is not to treat any condition - in other words, the drugs are not medically necessary and their usage is simply a form of restraint. We have to be very careful, in terms of people's human rights, when administering restraint.

The amendment also states that "the intended effect of the drug is to sedate the person for convenience or for disciplinary purposes." It is pretty shocking to think that when somebody behaves badly because he or she suffers a bit of dementia that, as punishment, drugs are administered to shut him or her up, keep him or her quiet and keep him or her down.