Thursday 25 August 2011

Mental capacity law plans do not fulfil Ireland’s obligations, say rights groups

Thursday, August 25, 2011

HUMAN rights experts have expressed serious concerns that proposed mental capacity legislation does not fulfil Ireland’s obligations under international law.

The purpose of legislation is to reform the laws for those who, due to illness, accident or intellectual disability, may have limited or reduced capacity to understand and articulate their needs and wishes in a legal context.

Amnesty International Ireland maintains that, in line with human rights law, we must move from a model of "best interests" to one that focuses on the potential of people.

The emphasis should therefore be on the ability of a person to regain capacity to make his or her own decisions.

Amnesty’s submission to the justice committee overseeing the legislation was informed by its "experts by experience" advisory group.

In this, people with mental health problems described how in periods of mental distress, decisions could be ‘impossible hills to climb’.

For most participants, the experience of having others make decisions for them was at times distressing, frustrating and scary.

However, some participants acknowledged that there were times when it was necessary for others to make decisions on a person’s behalf, and one described it as being at some moments and to some extent a relief.

In its submission, Mental Health Reform (MHR) said that people with a mental health condition should be able to avail of the same legal provisions as anyone else, MHR said.

"Ideas about the capacity of a person with a mental health condition are changing. In the past, certain diagnoses, such as schizophrenia or any psychotic condition, would have been presumed to entail a lack of capacity. Today, we know that the evidence contradicts these assumptions," MHR says.

The organisation also set out legal loopholes where by people who are in long-term care have no review of their medications or treatment.

"In respect of incapacitated patients in all settings, the common law rules apply in respect of treatment. If the patient lacks capacity, treatment is determined on the basis of his or her best interests with no mechanism for review of decisions made or for external oversight of medication levels."

MHR said the use of "chemical restraint" should be governed by clear rules and subjected to the same oversight as other means of restraint.

Tuesday 23 August 2011

Newsletter Training for Gateway Members

· Do you like the Gateway newsletter?

· Do you miss the Gateway newsletter?

· Do you think you could learn the computer skills and use those skills to put together the Gateway newsletter every month?


If you are a member who is interested please contact Martha on 01 4965558— the training is for 12 weeks from the 14th of September every Wednesday in Rathmines from 12.00pm —2.00pm.

Options: Training Programme

New Training Programme: Options is a Part time Training Programme for people with experience of mental ill health. The Programme will run from September to December 2011 and applications for places now being accepted. If you, or someone you know has had experience of Mental Ill Health and would like to take up this opportunity then please look at the details on the poster below and contact the Rathmines Pembroke Community Partnership to register your interest. The Options Programme has been designed specifically with people experiencing mental ill health in mind. It is expected that the Programme will have consideration and sensitivity to those experiences for those taking part. Options Poster

Friday 19 August 2011

Creative Writing Classes - Starting in September






FRIDAY AFTERNOONS 2.00pm — 4.00pm


Starting: Friday 16th of September 2011 for 10 weeks.





Community Room, Mount Drummond Court, Mount Drummond Avenue, Harold’s Cross, Dublin 6.


Tutor: George Ferguson





For More Info: Contact Martha at


Rathmines Pembroke Community Partnership


01 4965558 / 11 Wynnefield Road,


Rathmines, Dublin 6


martha@rpcp.ie





Friday 5 August 2011

The Eden Programme - Suicide or Survive








SOS are currently seeking participants over 18 for the 2 upcoming Eden Programs in Dublin. The Eden Program is a suicide prevention and intervention program. Anyone who has attempted suicide or has had suicidal thoughts can apply to be part of this 6 month program. The weekly meetings are held in a safe confidential environment. For more information please contact Louise louise@suicideorsurvive.ie or 1890 577 577.


Tuesday 2 August 2011

Gateway Membership Closed








Membership of Gateway will be closed from the 1st of August 2011 - if you would like to be made aware of when the membership will be open again please contact Martha on 01 4965558.

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