The 202-section Mental Health Bill 2024, which will replace the Mental Health Act 2001, completed committee stage in the Dáil yesterday evening.

Over 240 amendments were proposed by the government at committee stage in response to feedback from stakeholders.

Mary Butler, the minister for mental health, said: “I am really pleased to have successfully steered the Mental Health Bill through another stage of the legislative process, having concluded its passage through committee stage in the Dáil this evening.

“A robust, healthy debate on the amendments of the bill took place over the past few weeks and I would like to extend a personal thanks to all of the deputies who engaged in the committee stage process.”

She continued: “We are now one step closer to the landmark Mental Health Bill becoming law.

“Each step in the legislative process is an opportunity to improve the Bill and make it as robust as possible.

“The bill deals with complex legal and ethical issues and the bill and its amendments have been drafted following extensive consultation with key stakeholders and other government departments.”

The new bill will provide for, among other things:

•  an updated involuntary admission and detention process for people with severe mental health difficulties, including a revised set of criteria for admission;
• an overhauled approach to consent to treatment for involuntarily admitted people;
• an expansion of the Mental Health Commission’s regulatory function to include all community mental health residences and services, including all community Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS);
• closer alignment with the principles of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Acts 2015 and 2022;
• stronger safeguards for people accessing inpatient treatment; and
• the care and treatment of children and young people, including provisions to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to consent to or refuse mental health treatment.

Ms Butler said the bill “represents a huge step forward in the vindication of the rights of people accessing mental health services, particularly those who have been involuntarily admitted and those accessing services in acute mental health settings”.

The bill will move to report stage in the coming weeks.

“I look forward to working with the HSE, Mental Health Commission and other key stakeholders as we continue the journey towards enacting this important bill, which is an extraordinary opportunity to transform our mental health services and put in place the necessary safeguards to ensure the rights of people with mental health difficulties are protected in the decades to come,” Ms Butler said.