Prof. Peter Bartlett: The right to the highest attainable standard of Mental Health: Dignity rights in mental health services

Dr Mary Keys: A Policy Approach to Embedding Rights in Mental Health Services

John Redican: A Vision for Change: What is the ‘citizenship’ core value and how has it been applied in practice

Patricia Gilheaney: A Standards Approach To Embedding Rights In Mental Health Services The Mhc Quality Framework

Camilla Parker: A Legislative Approach To Embedding Rights Whats Possible In Ireland

Jutta Kirrkamm: A Service User Perspective On The Legislative Approach

Dr John Tobin: A Service Provider Perspective On The Legislative Approach

Ministerial Address by Minister John Maloney

(If you do not have the correct software required to view PDF files, it is available for free download by clicking here)

Mr Anand Grover, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health

Prof Peter Bartlett, University of Nottingham and Chairperson, Board of Trustees, Mental Disability Advocacy Center

Dr Mary Keys, National University of Ireland, Galway

John Redican, National Executive Officer, National Service Users Executive

Patricia Gilheaney, Director of the Standards and Quality Assurance, Mental Health Commission

Camilla Parker, Consultant in Mental Health and Human Rights, UK

Jutta Kirrkamm, Regional Coordinator, Irish Advocacy Network

One of the keynote speakers was the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health, Anand Grover, who flew in from Mumbai especially to address the conference. He commended the Irish Government on the adoption of A Vision for Change, which he described “as very important policy document radically changing the way mental service is viewed in Ireland”, but stressed the urgent need for law to back up that policy.

The conference also included the perspectives of other legal and human rights experts, academics, service users and providers from Ireland and the UK.* The audience comprised more than 150 people with a wide experience and interest in mental health.

In the final address of the day Minister of State for Disability, Mental Health and Equality John Moloney, TD, confirmed he would be creating a new post within the HSE to lead on the implementation of A Vision for Change. He also gave a personal commitment to the audience that proceeds from the sale of mental health hospitals and lands would be ring fenced for spending on mental health services.

Closing the conference, John Saunders, Chair of the IMHC said: “The current mental health service in Ireland is simply not good enough. The implementation of A Vision for Change is painfully slow.”

*Full list of speakers: Dr Rory O’Donnell, Director, National Economic and Social Council
Anand Grover, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health
Prof Peter Bartlett, University of Nottingham and Chairperson, Board of Trustees, Mental Disability Advocacy Center
Dr Mary Keys, NUI Galway
John Redican, National Executive Officer, National Service Users Executive
Patricia Gilheaney, Director of Standards and Quality Assurance, Mental Health Commission
Camilla Parker, Legal Consultant in Mental Health and Human Rights, UK
Jutta Kirrkamm, Area Coordinator, Irish Advocacy Network
Dr John Tobin, Consultant Psychiatrist, St Bricin’s Military Hospital
Ministerial address: John Moloney, TD, Minister of State for Disability, Mental Health and Equality.

The morning session was opened by Caroline McGrath, Director of the IMHC, and was chaired by Prof Robert Daly, Commissioner at the Irish Human Rights Commission.
The afternoon session was chaired by Bairbre NicAonghusa, Director, Office for Disability and Mental Health, Department of Health and Children, and John Saunders, Chair of the IMHC provided the closing remarks.

On May 18 a number of health and legal experts in the field of Mental Health, including the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health, Anand Grover, will address over 150 delegates on the specific challenges facing Ireland.

The conference aims to explore how legislation can be used to ensure accessibility, availability, dignity and quality in Ireland’s mental health services. It will focus on the importance of upholding international human rights standards and looked at how the ambitions of A Vision for Change, the Government’s mental health policy, could be realised.

The conference includes national and international perspectives from human rights experts, service users, service providers and the Minister of State for Disability, Mental Health and Equality, John Moloney.

More soon…