Mental health crisis - Vulnerable suffer as row goes on

The delay in establishing promised tribunals to rule on the detention of psychiatric patients against their will has been criticised by former inspectors of mental hospitals.

The Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) has advised its consultant psychiatrist members not to take part in the system.

Health Minister Mary Harney is blaming the IHCA, which contends the psychiatrists are not adequately resourced. In the circumstances people can hardly be blamed for concluding that the IHCA is prepared to hold psychiatric patients to ransom.