It should be noted that the Mental Health Commission is an independent regulator established under the Mental Health Act 2001. The Commission has statutory responsibility for supporting and assisting in the development and improvement of mental health services. Department officials directed this query to the Mental Health Commission and the following is their response:
"The Mental Health Commission (MHC) is an independent state agency and has confirmed that proceedings were issued against the HSE - the proprietor of St Stephen’s - in September 2022, for the alleged offence of the contravention of a condition attaching to the registration of the Approved Centre. The MHC can confirm, as was stated in open Court, that following discussions between the parties, assurances were given by the HSE in relation to improved compliance with admission regulations and adherence to the conditions attached to the Certificate of Registration held by the Approved Centre moving forward, resulting in the MHC withdrawing its prosecution. More specifics on these assurances were reported on in November 2022 and are in the public domain."
