Limited progress on landmark 2022 mental health report
The High Level Task Force published a landmark report on reforming the criminal justice system and the forensic mental health service to better respond to mental illness and addiction among offenders.
The 230-page report was published almost three years ago, in September 2022.
This week, the Departments of Health and Justice published the second implementation report, nearly a year after it was written in September 2024.
The first set of recommendations call on An Garda Síochána and the DPP consider amending the Adult Caution Scheme to include situations where offenders have previous convictions and cautions where there is evidence of mental illness and/or addiction.
Some of the recommendations are set to be delivered within 12-18 months, while others have a target of 18 months to three years.
The final one, to formally consider expanding the ACS has a three-to-five year time frame.
The implementation report said gardaí reported the proposed changes would form part of a review of the scheme, which is 'linked with aligning' the scheme with DPP guidelines.
It is very similar to what was said in the first implementation report, dated December 2023. But that first report said it was intended the Garda report 'will be submitted' to the DPP 'by the end of 2023'.
There is no mention of that in the second implementation report. The second report repeats what was said in the first report — a Garda consultation process with the Irish Prison Service (IPS) regarding the caution scheme was 'ongoing'.
The report did highlight progress development of the first Garda-mental health team — Community Access Support Team — which, after a delay with staffing, began operation in January 2025.
An Garda Síochána has also began a two-year mental health training programme for gardaí.
The report said the Department of Health cited progress in establishing Crisis Resolution Teams to provide more intensive interventions to those with moderate to severe mental health difficulties, starting in Limerick in 2024.
Another set of recommendations covering the opening up of the 30-bed intensive care and rehabilitation unit at the new Central Mental Hospital in Portrane, Dublin, and the subsequent establishment of regional intensive care and rehabilitation units have not made much progress, according to the report, despite having a 'short term' time frame.
The 2022 report said the intensive care and rehabilitation unit was due to open in 2022, although in the first implementation report both it and a 10-bed forensic Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service unit 'will open on phased basis over 2024 or beyond'.
The second report said the intensive care and rehabilitation unit 'will be opened' on a phased basis, but there is no timeline.
The Department of Health's Sharing the Vision policy document in 2020 recommended 120 intensive care and rehabilitation unit beds in four regional centres.
The second report also refers to recommendations for the Irish Prison Service. It is thought the overcrowding crisis in prisons has affected their implementation.
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