Sir, – Barbara O'Connell understandably draws attention to the challenge we face in keeping people affected by brain injury and the need for delivery of psychological and neuro-rehabilitative support during the current corona virus pandemic (Letters, April 17th).
Of comparable importance is the the need to implement the Assisted Decision Making (Capacity) Act 2015, and in particular Part 5 of the Act to replace the current wardship procedures which are utterly outdated. At the time of writing there are approximately 3,000 wards of court and approximately 30,000 patients living in long-term residential care (including nursing homes) many of whom may be bound by the wardship procedure which the Act of 2015 was enacted to replace. Yet almost five years after the Act was signed into law in 2015, there is no published statement from Government or the Mental Health Commission as to when Part 5 of the Act will be implemented.
Failure to implement Part 5 of the Act of 2015 in effect means that the number of wards will continue to increase, which is a contradiction which is difficult to understand.
At the very least the Department of Health and the Mental Health Commission should announce when Part 5 of the Act will be implemented. – Yours, etc,
NEIL BUCKLEY,
Malahide, Co Dublin.