asked the Minister for Justice if he will institute the appropriate procedure and body to ensure that any case of a prisoner or person on charge being transferred to or lodged at the Central Mental Hospital, Dundrum, Dublin will automatically be the subject of review by an immediate second opinion.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Central Mental Hospital.
26.
The question appears to be based on a misunderstanding Under existing law there must always be a second medical opinion before a person can be transferred to the Central Mental Hospital. Not only that, but immediately on arrival in the hospital the patient comes under the care of qualified psychiatrists and, if and when he is found to be sufficiently recovered, he is transferred to prison.
It would appear from recent incidents that some sort of review body would be necessary particularly when the illness in question is such that it permits only of a subjective diagnosis and it would be important that there should be some sort of independent review procedure to ensure that what happened in the last couple of weeks will not happen again.
The question of phychiatric examinations in the hospital would be a matter for the Minister for Health.