Treatment of mentally ill ‘worse than Russia’
Susan Stefan, a board member of Mental Disability Rights International, said the treatment of those in psychiatric institutions here was "very far behind best international practice," and in violation of international law.
"The law on paper is terrible. It's much worse than Russia," she said.
In particular, Ms Stefan, who will address a day-long conference on mental illness in Dublin today, expressed concern over the Mental Health Act 2001 which allows people to be involuntary detained without the right to an appeal for a period of 21 days.
In Russia an appeal is allowed after just five days.
Ms Stefan, a world-renowned expert in the legislative rights of the mentally ill and currently working with the US-based Centre for Public Representation, made it clear that the Government was failing those detained in mental institutions.
"What I find really sad is that the Government is on notice. There has been report after report.
"This is possibly the most documented set of problems and as far as I can tell they're not doing a thing," she said.
The rate of hospitalisation here is also of concern as it far exceeds international practice.
Ms Stefan said it was mind-boggling that over 55% of people in institutions are long-term and have been there over a year while over a third have been institutionalised for more than five years.
According to Ms Stefan, the number in long-term psychiatric hospital beds should be in the region of 35 per 100,000 of the population. However, Ireland has more than twice that number with 85 people in long-term care for every 100,000 persons.
"You have more people in your institutions many of them inappropriately than any other country in Europe as well as the United States and Canada.
"They have people who are alcoholics in mental hospitals that the tax payers are paying for because there are no detox services anywhere. There are also elderly people who could be served in the community," she said.
Today's conference, organised jointly by Schizophrenia Ireland, Mental Health Ireland and Amnesty International will also hear that those in psychiatric institutions must seek permission to go to court if they feel maltreated.
Ms Stefan said she found it shocking that only people with mental and psychiatric problems had to ask permission to go to court when it is recognised by the UN that those in mental institutions are particularly vulnerable.
"You have to ask permission to go to court.
"No other Irish citizen has to ask permission to file an action. I believe that is probably a violation of your constitutional access to justice provision. It may be a violation of equality provisions.
"I don't understand why the Government seems to have set on limiting people's rights. Especially since most of the things we are talking about either don't cost money or would save money," she said.
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