Browne’s mental health bill is passed by Dáil
A BILL put forward by Fianna Fáil Mental Health spokesperson James Browne aimed at strengthening the rights of mental health patients has officially been passed by the Dáil.
The bill provides for greater consultation with patients and giving them a greater say in their treatment, as well as giving them more rights in the services they avail of.
Just last week, Deputy Browne met with representatives from Mental Health Reform and a number of other mental health groups at a special meeting in The Riverside Park Hotel. At the meeting, Deputy Browne also heard from mental health service users who spoke of just what the changes to mental health services in Ireland would mean to them.
While the consensus at the meeting was that there was still an enormous amount of work to be done, it was considered that the bill being put forward by Deputy Browne was a good start and hopefully would open up a broader conversation on mental health in Ireland.
Deputy Browne was delighted that the bill had been passed and it will now go before the Seanad.
Speaking after the bill had passed, he said: ‘ Today the Dáil passed my Mental Health bill. Yesterday the Dáil accepted my proposal to establish the first ever Oireachtas Mental Health Committee. It was a huge honour to have both of these passed by the Dáil and to receive cross party and independent support for both. Hopefully this is only the beginning of a change in how we address issues of mental health.’