World’s top health expert calls on the Irish Government to prioritise mental health
The UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health, Anand Grover, has expressed concern over the lack of legislation to implement government policy.Speaking at the Irish Mental Health Coalition (IMHC) conference today (18/05/09) Mr Grover said: “A Vision for Change is an excellent document, really radical in terms of policy, but unfortunately it simply has not been implemented.”
Mr Grover also criticised the financial arrangements of the plan. He said: “The overall policy [of A Vision for Change] shifts care from mental health institutions to community care which releases money, so money should not be an issue.
“The allocation of €150 million to implement A Vision for Change over 7 to 10 years is inadequate and the designation of ‘7 to 10’ years for policy implementation is far too unspecific and loose.”
Mr Grover gave one of the keynote speeches at the conference, which also included the perspectives of other legal and human rights experts, academics, politicians, users of services and service providers from Ireland, India and the UK. The key focus of the conference is to discuss how international human rights law can and should inform legislation in Ireland.
John Saunders, Chair of the IMHC said: "The current mental health service in Ireland is simply not good enough. Earlier this month the HSE published a second inadequate action plan to implement A Vision for Change. It was yet another missed opportunity by government to bring the policy to life and so improve the quality of life of thousands of people experiencing mental health problems across the country."
Dr Rory O’Donnell, Director of the National Economic and Social Council also delivered a speech at the conference and the Minister of State for Disability, Mental Health and Equality, John Moloney, TD, will address the conference later this afternoon.
The aim of the conference is to explore how legislation can be used to uphold international human rights standards and realise the ambitions of A Vision for Change, the Government’s mental health policy.