The review, commissioned by the Health Service Executive, has examined the care of 374 children who were active on the north Kerry CAMHS team database in November 2022. Of these, 209 cases – 56 per cent – were identified as being at risk of potential harm.

Commenting on the findings, Dr Louise Rooney, Policy & Research Manager at Mental Health Reform, said:

“This report is a stark reflection of the challenges in our mental health system. Every child who uses mental health services has the right to appropriate care and support. Too many children have been denied this right due to severe failures in clinical oversight, governance and accountability. We need strong immediate action to restore trust in our mental health services.

The Maskey report revealed that a lack of clinical governance in South Kerry CAMHS exposed children to the risk of harm. This review confirms that poor clinical governance is a national issue across the mental health system. The overreliance on medication and inappropriate prescribing practices is deeply concerning. The failure to monitor and physically assess children taking psychotropic medication has resulted in unsafe, substandard mental health care.

The report provides further evidence of the under-resourcing and understaffing in our mental health services.  Limited access to holistic therapeutic interventions has significantly compromised outcomes for young people with complex mental health needs. These failings have caused great distress to the children and families involved.

There is a fundamental need for greater accountability across the health service.  Mental Health Reform is calling for the appointment of a National Lead for Mental Health in the HSE to provide strategic oversight and leadership in the improvement of mental health services. While the establishment of the HSE National Youth Mental Health Office is a positive development, meaningful reform requires robust accountability and leadership at the highest level of the HSE.

The findings underscore the need to reform the Mental Health Bill, 2024 to protect the rights of children with mental health difficulties. The legislation must include a statutory right to independent advocacy for all individuals accessing mental health services to ensure that young people can exercise their rights and express their wishes and concerns. As the Bill moves to Report Stage in the Seanad, we urge the Government to strengthen safeguards for children and young people.

Prevention and early intervention are also critical. Investment in these services is key to preventing the development of complex mental health difficulties and reducing the need for costly acute care. The voluntary and community sector is ideally situated to assist in the expansion of mental health services in the community, ensuring access to support at the earliest point possible.

The crisis in CAMHS requires a national coordinated response. We must do all we can to restore trust in our mental health services and ensure that families and children receive the high standard of care they deserve.”

For additional support, please call freephone 1800 700 700.

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Helen Gillespie Brown, CEO, Mental Health Reform commented:

“Over the past decade, Mental Health Reform has played a central role in the reform of the Mental Health Act. The Mental Health Bill represents a landmark effort to modernise Ireland’s mental health legislation in line with human rights principles and international best practice.

We welcome the Government’s commitment to advancing key amendments to the Bill during Committee Stage. This progress reflects the impact of sustained advocacy by Mental Health Reform, its members, and people with lived experience. While progress is welcome, we continue to call for stronger protections and safeguards for those accessing mental health services.

The Mental Health Bill will have a profound impact on people with mental health difficulties, their family members and carers. Every year, over 15,000 people in Ireland are admitted to in-patient mental health services. It is therefore critical that the Bill respects their will and preferences and supports their recovery.

As the Bill moves to Report Stage, we will continue to work with Government representatives and Members of the Opposition to secure meaningful improvements in the legislation.”

Mental Health Reform is calling for the following key amendments in the Mental Health Bill:

Provide a statutory right to advocacy

Minister of State for Mental Health, Mary Butler has made a commitment to looking at introducing a statutory right to advocacy for people accessing mental health services through secondary legislation. Access to an independent advocate ensures people can exercise their rights and express their wishes and concerns. Comparable protections already exist in England, Scotland, and Wales. We urge the Minister to deliver on this commitment to expand independent advocacy services for all people accessing mental health services. This has been consistently identified in our consultations with people with lived experience as a top priority.

Establish an Independent Complaints Mechanism

We recommend that the Mental Health Bill introduces a legal right to an independent complaints process for people accessing mental health services. This is essential to uphold the rights and dignity of people in involuntary detention. The independent complaints process must be legally separate from service providers with defined timeframes for investigating complaints, clear investigatory powers and protections for people making the complaint against retaliation.

Prevent the admission of children to adult units

The Mental Health Bill should prevent the admission of children to adult inpatient units. While this practice has declined in recent years, the absence of clear safeguards in the Bill creates a risk that such admissions could increase in the future. It is vital that the rights of children experiencing mental health difficulties are protected and that they receive care that is appropriate to their age and developmental needs.

Additional Information

Mental Health Reform has developed an information resource outlining areas where the Mental Health Bill could be strengthened, drawing on evidence from international human rights standards and comparative legislative practice. Read the document here.

For more information on the Mental Health Bill, read our Plain English Guide.

We’ve created a summary of the changes made during Seanad Committee Stage, along with the key areas where further progress is essential. Read the Summary Factsheet.

All of our resources are available on our dedicated webpage to Reform the Mental Health Act #ReformMHA.

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Government Chief Whip and Minister of State for Mental Health, Mary Butler, has committed to advancing amendments to the Bill that could strengthen critical rights and safeguards for people accessing in-patient mental health services.

Helen Brown, CEO, Mental Health Reform commented: “The Mental Health Bill represents a landmark effort to modernise Ireland’s mental health legislation in line with human rights principles and international best practice. Throughout the legislative process, Mental Health Reform has played a central role in advocating for stronger protections for people experiencing mental health difficulties.

The Government has proposed amendments which represent important progress in the transition towards person-centred, rights-based mental health care. We commend Minister Mary Butler and senators for their thorough engagement with this vital legislation.

We also extend our sincere thanks to our members, supporters, and those with lived experience, whose advocacy and dedication have been instrumental in ensuring a stronger, more inclusive Bill. As the Mental Health Bill moves to report stage, we look forward to continuing our engagement with Oireachtas members to drive positive changes in the legislation.”

Mental Health Reform welcomes the following developments:

1. Provision of information on independent advocacy to involuntarily admitted persons

The Minister has committed to progressing an amendment that would ensure the provision of information on independent advocacy to people who are involuntarily admitted to in-patient mental health facilities. This amendment would require mental health services to inform individuals of the availability of independent advocacy services and how to access them within 24 hours of admission. This marks a major step forward in promoting transparency, upholding rights, and ensuring timely access to support for those subject to involuntary admission.

2. Commitment to a statutory right to advocacy in secondary legislation

The Minister has made a clear commitment to enshrine a statutory right to advocacy for people accessing mental health services through secondary legislation. Access to an independent advocate can be crucial to ensuring a person can exercise their rights and express their wishes and concerns. A dedicated mental health project group will be established this year, alongside further research and stakeholder consultation, to progress work on complaints and advocacy mechanisms.

3. Accessible Information on Rights for Involuntarily Detained Persons

The Minister has accepted an amendment requiring that all information provided to individuals who are involuntarily detained about their rights must be delivered in a form and language that can be reasonably understood by the person. This is a significant amendment that ensures better alignment with international human rights standards that call for accessible, inclusive communication in mental health care settings.

More Information

• The transcripts of debates on the Mental Health Bill during Committee Stage in the Seanad are available to view here
• Committee stage debate on the Mental Health Bill in the Seanad will continue on 28th January at 4.30pm and 29th January at 12.30pm and is available to watch on Oireachtas TV. 

All of our resources are available on our dedicated webpage to Reform the Mental Health Act #ReformMHA.

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Throughout this process, Mental Health Reform has been engaging closely with political representatives to clearly and constructively highlight our concerns and priorities, setting these out in plain and accessible language.

The Government has brought forward more than 300 amendments to the Bill, many of which are technical in nature and aimed at aligning the legislation with existing legal frameworks. Opposition Senators have also played an active and constructive role, submitting a significant number of amendments and contributing substantively to the debate.

As a result of sustained engagement and advocacy by Mental Health Reform and other stakeholders, a number of positive Government amendments have been proposed by the Government at Seanad Committee Stage, demonstrating the value of continued dialogue and scrutiny in strengthening mental health legislation. The following have already been debated: 

1. Dedicated section on Pharmacological Restraint (Chemical Restraint) 
2. Respect for the Rights of Young People Aged 16 and Over to Make Treatment Decisions: the removal of the term “due weight” from Section 10 provides greater clarity on the right of young people aged 16 and over to consent to admission, care, and treatment in a mental health setting on a similar basis as they can for physical health decisions.

Positive Government amendments, that have been a key focus of Mental Health Reform’s advocacy and engagement, to be debated in the upcoming weeks include, 

1. Prohibition on the use of electroconvulsive therapy on children.
2. Enhanced safeguards around involuntary treatment, including:
   • A proposed amendment raising the threshold for involuntary treatment from “likely to benefit” to likely to benefit “materially.” While we maintain that involuntary treatment should only be permitted in urgent cases where delay or absence of intervention could seriously impact a person’s health or safety, this higher threshold represents meaningful progress.
   • A proposed amendment requiring more timely access to decision-supports. A proposed amendment now requires applications to the Circuit Court for decision supports to be made “as soon as practicable,” rather than at any point within a 42-day window. While we continue to advocate for a strict timeframe (within 72 hours) this change is a welcome step in the right direction.
3. Respect for Capacity and Advance Healthcare Directives: We are very pleased to see the proposed removal of Section 51(5), which had allowed a consultant psychiatrist to override the treatment refusal of a person with capacity and/or a valid advance healthcare directive for up to 72 hours pending a High Court decision. While we continue to believe that the High Court should not have the authority to override such decisions, this amendment marks a clear improvement in respecting individual autonomy.
4. Requirement for Regular Capacity Assessments: We welcome the proposed improvements to the regularity and timeliness of capacity assessments. The amendments now require that assessments be carried out “as soon as practicable” and at “not less than once every 14 days” thereafter. While we continue to strongly believe that a capacity assessment should generally take place before any involuntary treatment is administered – and that treatment without such an assessment should only occur in rare and absolute emergency situations – we acknowledge this as a step forward. Given the inherently fluid nature of capacity, we also believe assessments should occur even more frequently, but we again recognise the progress made on this issue.

As the Bill progresses through the Oireachtas, MHR will continue to advocate for the following changes and commend opposition Senators for proposing relevant amendments on our key asks, which include but are not limited to the following:

1. Statutory Right to Independent Advocacy: All mental health service users should have a legal right to independent advocacy, a standard already in place in neighbouring jurisdictions such as England, Scotland, and Wales. This has been consistently identified in our consultations with people with lived experience as a top priority.
2. Establishment of an Independent Complaints Mechanism: A robust, independent pathway for complaints and redress is a critical safeguard for individuals in highly vulnerable situations.
3. Further Safeguards on Involuntary Treatment: We remain concerned about the potential duration during which individuals may be subject to involuntary treatment without access to decision-supports or an independent advocate.
4. Prohibition against Placing Children in Adult Units: We continue to call for an explicit ban on this practice.
5. Prohibition against the Practice of ECT: ECT should only be administered to adults in cases where they have given informed consent.

How can members stay up to date?

All of our resources are available on our dedicated webpage to Reform the Mental Health Act #ReformMHA.

The debate will take place at 5.30pm on Tuesday and 12.30pm on Thursday and be watched on Oireachtas TV.

How can members support our efforts?

Members can support our efforts by contacting their local TDs and Senators to voice concerns about the Mental Health Bill 2024 and to call for amendments that strengthen rights, equality, and access to high-quality mental health care.

A selection of resources that may be of interest is included below.

Resources:

A Plain English Guide to Key Concerns and Recommendations

IHREC: Correspondence to Minister Butler on the Mental Health Bill

Press:

Dr Charles O’Mahony Op-Ed: Mental health law reforms not sufficient to respect human rights

Mental Health Bill must not stifle voices of those it affects most, say mental health reform policy specialists

New Mental Health Bill ‘not meeting bar’ with safeguarding patients

Irish Examiner

Mental Health Reform rebuts psychiatry’s claims that “do not accurately reflect” its position

Plain English Guide to the Mental Health Bill 

Amendments

Bill as Passed

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About the role: 
The Corporate Services Officer provides administrative, operational, and corporate services support across the organisation. The role supports the effective day-to-day functioning of MHR, including facilities, IT and systems coordination, compliance, finance administration, and project coordination. Working closely with the Head of Operations, CEO, and wider team, the post-holder supports strong organisational systems, information flow, and compliance with statutory and funding requirements.

For further information about this role, please see the Job Description.

About Mental Health Reform:
Mental Health Reform (MHR) is the national coalition driving reform of Ireland’s mental health services and supports. Our vision is of an Ireland where everyone can access the support that they need in their community to achieve their best possible mental health. With more than 70 member organisations and thousands of individual supporters, MHR provides a coordinated voice to Government, its agencies, the Oireachtas and the general public on mental health issues.

Application process:

Please email your CV and cover letter to info@mentalhealthreform.ie by 5.00 pm on Friday 30 January 2026. In your cover letter, please clearly explain how you meet the person specification and core responsibilities of the role.

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The post Sharing The Vision – The Journey So Far Webinar appeared first on Mental Health Reform.

Commenting on the report, Dr Louise Rooney, Policy & Research Manager, Mental Health Reform commented:

“We welcome this report which demonstrates a significant decline in the use of restrictive practices across Irish mental health services in 2023 and 2024. Seclusion and restraint can have serious physical and psychological effects on people with mental health difficulties. Restrictive practices should only be used in strictly limited circumstances as a last resort and for the shortest necessary time. Our national mental health policy, Sharing the Vision recommends a zero restraint, zero seclusion action plan. The decline in restrictive practices reflects a welcome shift towards person-centred, human rights, and recovery-oriented approaches in our mental health services. The Commission’s report comes at a crucial time as the Mental Health Bill moves through the final stages of the legislative process. The reform of the Mental Health Act will mark a key step in the transition towards modern, rights-based mental health services. 

We look forward to continuing our work with our members and people with lived experience to deliver mental health legislation that adequately protects people’s human rights, and respects their will and preferences.”

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Helen has over 25 years’ experience in social policy, mental health, and international development across the public, non-profit, and global sectors. Most recently, she served as a Mental Health Consultant for a Scottish Government funded initiative ’Think Positive’ supporting student mental health across Scottish colleges and universities.

Helen’s career encompasses a range of senior leadership roles, including Chief Executive Officer of Visualise Scotland, a charity supporting housing and day services for adults with disabilities and Head of Volunteering at The Prince’s Trust, where she developed mentoring programmes for care experienced young people. 

Helen Gillespie Brown succeeds former CEO, Fiona Coyle, who made an immense contribution to Mental Health Reform. Both the staff and the Board wish Fiona every success as she takes on new challenges and opportunities.

Speaking on behalf of the Board, Chairperson of Mental Health Reform, Dr Judith Malone said:

“It is with great pleasure that we welcome Helen Gillespie Brown to Mental Health Reform as our new CEO. Helen brings a wealth of international experience in mental health, advocacy and human rights. We believe Helen’s expertise ideally equips her to guide the coalition with vision and leadership in the years ahead.”

Speaking about the appointment, Helen Gillespie Brown said: “I am extremely honoured to have been appointed as the CEO of Mental Health Reform. I look forward to working alongside the team, Board and our wider network to progress sustainable reform and improve access to mental health services in Ireland. It is a privilege and a responsibility to have been tasked with taking on this role. Mental Health Reform’s members deliver vital services and supports in the voluntary and community mental health sector. I am committed to working with the coalition to advocate for increased investment in the mental health system to ensure that everyone can access effective and inclusive mental health services and supports.”

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In the correspondence, IHREC recommends that the Mental Health Bill puts in place a legal framework for mental health in Ireland which is fully consistent with Ireland’s obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and other relevant human rights standards.

The Mental Health Bill is set to be reviewed by the Seanad in Committee Stage over the coming weeks. 

Read the IHREC publication 

The key concerns raised by IHREC in relation to the Bill strongly align with Mental Health Reform’s key asks for reform:

Need for Safeguards around Chemical Restraint

• MHR Position: We have called for better safeguards around chemical restraint to be introduced into the Bill.
• IHREC Submission: “The Mental Health Bill has removed provisions concerning the use of chemical restraint which were included in the general scheme of the Bill. The absence of statutory safeguards is concerning as chemical restraint is not covered in the current Rules or codes of practice in place. The Bill must include provisions concerning the use of chemical restraint, with appropriate safeguards in place.”

Need for Greater Safeguards around Involuntary Detention and Treatment

• MHR Position: We have called for stronger safeguards around involuntary detention/treatment.
• IHREC Submission: “The State must strengthen the procedural safeguards governing involuntary admission” and “Non-consensual use of psychiatric medication in mental health services should be generally prohibited and only used in exceptional circumstances as a measure of last resort.”

Need for Establishment of an Independent Complaints Mechanism

• MHR Position: We have called for the establishment of an independent complaints mechanism to ensure stronger oversight and accountability.
• IHREC Submission: “The Mental Health Bill should provide for the creation of an independent complaints mechanism to receive, investigate and determine complaints from adults and children about mental health services.”

Statutory Right to Independent Advocacy

• MHR Position: We have called for a statutory right to independent advocacy for those accessing mental health services.
• IHREC Submission: “Access to an independent advocate may be critical to a person in exercising their rights under this legislation. We recommend that the right to an advocate be placed on a statutory footing and independent advocacy services be provided, including for children.”

Prohibition on the Admission of Children to Adult Units

• MHR Position: We have expressed concerns that the Bill continues to allow for the admission of children to adult units.
• IHREC Submission: “We continue to call for the Mental Health Bill to explicitly prohibit children from being admitted to an adult inpatient facility. This legislative measure should be accompanied by the increased resourcing of community and age-appropriate mental health supports.” IHREC also notes that the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has urged the government to introduce in legislation “an explicit prohibition of the practice of placing children with mental health issues in adult psychiatric units.”

Removal of the Term ‘Mental Disorder’

• MHR Position: We have called for the term “mental disorder” to be replaced.
• IHREC Submission: “The term ‘mental disorder’ in the Mental Health Bill should be replaced with ‘persons of psychosocial disabilities’, in line with UNCRPD and the human rights model of disability.”

We also note and echo IHREC’s comments in relation to the following:

• “This legislation should be aimed at ensuring less restrictive forms of treatment in the community are available and the ultimate eradication of coercion in the treatment of people with psychosocial disabilities.”
• “Review of the definition of ‘voluntary’ admission is required, which does not address whether the individual has consented to admission or whether they have the capacity to consent, heightening the risk for deprivation of liberty in the absence of appropriate safeguards such as an independent review of the detention. We note the absence of robust procedural safeguards governing the reclassification of patients from voluntary to involuntary status, and the potentially coercive nature of the measures employed.”
• “We have repeatedly raised concerns with the delay of legislation that adequately safeguards individuals at risk and/or deprived of their liberty, including the Protection of Liberty Safeguards Bill and the Inspection of Places of Detention Bill. The provisions of the Bills must be carefully aligned to ensure there is no difference in standards or treatment of individuals under the respective legislation.”

Read more about our work to reform the Mental Health Act

Read our Plain English Guide to the Mental Health Bill Amendments

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While this headline figure is encouraging, Mental Health Reform continues to urge the Government to provide a comprehensive and accessible breakdown of the mental health funding allocation as soon as possible. The detailed figures have not yet been published following changes to the structure of the overall Health Budget. Transparency in budgetary reporting is essential to ensure accountability and enable stakeholders to track progress against national policy commitments.

Nonetheless, as we await these details, Mental Health Reform acknowledges the Government’s commitment to mental health in its first Budget, including the recruitment of 300 additional whole-time-equivalent staff in 2026, representing 9% of total projected health staffing growth.

We strongly welcome the focus on crisis supports and suicide reduction initiatives, including:

• Specialist nursing teams (ANP and CNS) placed in Model 4 hospital Emergency Departments during out-of-hours
• A new crisis response pathway for children and young people, staffed by CAMHS doctors
• Three new Crisis Resolution Teams and associated Solace cafés in Donegal, Kerry, and the Midlands (Tullamore/Westmeath)
• 12 Suicide Crisis Assessment Nurses (SCAN) to support people in distress presenting to GPs
• Greater support for voluntary and community organisations working in the area of suicide prevention. 
• Additional funding for Traveller-specific suicide prevention initiatives, co-designed with the Traveller Community. As highlighted in our Pre-Budget Submission, it is essential that there is a continued focus on investing to meet the unique needs and address the barriers to care faced by priority groups in Ireland.

Budget 2026 also includes €6.8 million to fund 31 additional inpatient beds, including:

• 21 CAMHS acute inpatient beds: 
  • 11 reopening at Linn Dara, Dublin
  • 10 new beds at the National Children’s Hospital
• 10 beds at Ireland’s first Intensive Care Rehabilitation Unit (ICRU) in the National Forensic Mental Health Service (Portrane), supported by 30 new staff

We also commend the promised investment in talk therapies, digital mental health, and peer support, as well as increased funding for early intervention and youth mental health – all key priorities outlined in our Pre-Budget Submission.

Mental Health Reform welcomes the €10 million allocation to expand the HSE’s National Clinical Programmes, including:

• A new Dual Diagnosis team and reopening of a Day Programme at Keltoi
• A new Early Intervention in Psychosis team
• Two new CAMHS Mental Health Intellectual Disability teams
• Two new Eating Disorder teams (one CAMHS, one Adult)
• Two new Liaison teams and additional staff for Specialist Mental Health Services for Older People
• Two additional consultants for Perinatal Mental Health Services at the Rotunda and National Maternity Hospital

We are particularly pleased to note the announcement that work is ongoing to develop Ireland’s first Mother and Baby Unit (MBU) for inpatient care – a vital step toward ensuring mothers receive specialised mental health treatment without being separated from their infants.

Despite many positive steps in Budget 2026, Mental Health Reform continue to call on the Government to make progress on the below points:

• Multi-annual funding for the community and voluntary sector to support the vital work these organisations do. 
• Provide for a cost of disability payment. It is worth noting that based on the 2021 Cost of Disability Report that the average additional annual cost of living with a mental health difficulty is €13,251 (not adjusted for inflation).

Mental Health Reform wish to acknowledge and thank the Minister of State for Mental Health, Mary Butler, and her team for their continued leadership. Mental health funding has increased by more than 50% since the Minister’s appointment in 2020, and we commend the sustained efforts made to secure this year’s investment in a challenging fiscal environment. 

We will continue to call on the Government to build on this progress to meet the significant mental health needs of people across Ireland. In our “Pay the Bill” Pre-Budget Campaign, we called for at least €200 million in additional funding, bringing mental health investment to approximately 6.5% of last year’s health budget. Given the increase in the overall health budget in Budget 2026, an even higher figure is now required to reach that percentage. It is essential that the proportion of the health budget allocated to mental health increases to place Ireland on track to meet the Sláintecare commitment of 10% by 2030.

Mental Health Reform will continue to monitor Budget 2026 developments as further details emerge and will communicate updates to our membership and wider stakeholder network.

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