Gardaí take mentally ill patients into care

A FREEZE on recruiting staff to the Health Service Executive has lead to an increase in cases where gardaí place mentally ill people in care against their will.

A number of “authorised officers” were promised by the HSE to help with the involuntary detention of people with mental and psychological illnesses.

The promise was part of the Mental Health Act 2001 which was designed to increase the rights of patients being placed into psychiatric care.