Metal Health Commission Board Announced
A new Mental Health Commission has begun its term in office, which will end in 2017. The new chair of the commission is Mr. John Saunders. Mr. Saunders is currently the director of Shine, the national organization for the rights of people affected by mental illness.
Members of the new Commission represent a wide section of mental health professionals and voluntary bodies.
The new commission is made up of the following people:
- Dr Mary Keys, Lecturer, NUI Galway (reappointed)
- Dr Michael Byrne, Principal Psychology Manager, HSE West
- Dr Maeve Doyle, Consultant Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist, Monaghan
- Dr Francis Xavier Flanagan, General Practitioner, Kildare
- Ms Pauline Gill, Principal Social Worker, National Forensic Service, Dublin
- Dr Anne Jeffers, Consultant Psychiatrist, Galway
- Mr Ned Kelly, Director of Nursing, Cork
- Ms Colette Nolan, Irish Advocacy Network
- Ms Catherine O’Rourke, Director of Nursing, Louth/Meath
- Ms Patricia O’Sullivan Lacy, Barrister-At-Law (reappointed)
- Mr John Redican, National Service Users Executive (reappointed)
- Mr Martin Rogan, HSE (reappointed)
- Mr John Saunders, Shine (reappointed)
The existing mental health commission held office from 2007 to 2012. The Mental Health Commission is an independent body committed to promoting high standards and good practices, which insure the rights of the detained person are protected.
The Minister for Mental Health, Kathleen Lynch, said “The Commission’s independent role is crucial in driving the agenda for change in the mental health service in the coming years”
Over the past 5 years The Mental Health held over 9,200 Mental Health Tribunal review hearings. The has helped to see a decline in patient admissions to unsuitable psychiatric institutions.