Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 209: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of cases that the Mental Health (Criminal Law) Review Board have reviewed in each of the past five years. [40149/11]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I can inform the Deputy that the Mental Health (Criminal Law) Review Board was established on 27th September 2006. The Board held it first review into the detention of a patient in the Central Mental Hospital on 14th December 2006. The Board is required to ensure that the detention of a patient is reviewed at intervals of such length not being more than 6 months as it considers appropriate but some patients may be reviewed at lesser intervals as a review can be triggered not only at the behest of the Board but also at the request of the Minister for Justice and Equality, at the request of the patient or at the request of the Clinical Director of the Central Mental Hospital.

The number of cases reviewed by the Board in each of the past five years is set out in the Table. The Deputy may also wish to note that the Board's Annual Reports are published each year and are available on my Department's website at www.justice.ie