Circulation:
Area of Clip:
Page 1 of 1
Irish Examiner*
Saturday, 19 December 2015
Page:
9
‘Lunatic’ law replacement
set to take six months
new agency within the
Mental Health Commission,
Legislation that replaces a it wanted the director of
century-old
law calling
the decision support service
people with a mental illness
to be recruited immediately
“lunatics”
will take six
so that much-needed public
months to fully implement, it awareness work could start.
has emerged.
Sage, a support and advocacy
Inclusion Ireland said the
group for older people,
six-month timeframe
for
said the legislation would
commencing all aspects of address the use of chemical
the legislation would delay
restraint that had become
people with intellectual disabilities
“normalised”.
getting the support
Former Law Reform Commission
they needed to articulate
and chair of Sage’s
their decision-making.
advisory committee, Patricia
The Assisted DecisionMaking
Clarke, said chemical restraint
(Capacity) Bill 2013,
was being used to effectively
passed by the Dail this
deprive people of
week, repeals the Victorianera their liberty instead of addressing
Lunacy Regulation
underlying clinical
(Ireland) Act 1871 and the
issues.
Marriage of Lunatics Act
“It is being used as a first
1811.
rather than a last resort,”
Inclusion Ireland welcomed said Ms Clarke.
the legislation but was disappointed
The Alzheimer Society
that it would take said the welcome legislation
six months to commence all would provide the legal guidance
aspects of it.
to uphold the autonomy
While it acknowledged it and dignity of the person
would take time to create a with dementia.
Evelyn Ring
37009
8900mm²