The Oireachtas Committee of Justice, Defence
and Equality has published its report on the Mental Capacity Bill (itself yet to be published); the report includes
the many submissions The Committee received and a record of its oral hearings...
The Full report can be seen here. [It's a very large pdf file so may take time to download]
The Irish Times - Tuesday, May 8, 2012 Ending a legal limbo
IT
IS a sobering thought that thousands of Irish citizens have been
consigned to a legal limbo by a 19th century British law which
classifies them as “lunatics”. This is the fate endured by those who
have an acquired brain injury, an intellectual disability or who suffer
from a serious mental illness that could impact on their ability to make
decisions. Under the 1871 Lunacy Act they have few rights, and can be
subject to the whims of institutions or official bodies in decisions
relating to their lives and welfare.
