Admission of children to adult mental health facilities ‘a systemic failure’ by the state

Ireland’s Ombudsman for Children Dr Niall Muldoon will address a hearing of an Oireachtas sub-committee today

Forthcoming legislation contains a clause that still allows for the State to place children into adult-only psychiatric facilities, Dr Niall Muldoon, Ombudsman for Children, said in a pre-hearing submission.

The practice of admitting children and adolescents to adult mental health facilities due to a lack of available age-appropriate services amounts to a “systemic failure” of “longstanding and grave concern”, an Oireachtas committee will hear on Tuesday.

Dr Niall Muldoon, Ireland’s Ombudsman for Children, will address a hearing of the Oireachtas sub-committee on mental health as part of pre-legislative scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Mental Health (Amendment) Bill 2021, which provides for, among ...