Emer Currie
Ceist:1043. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Health for an update on her engagement on the case of a person (details supplied). [12014/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 17 February 2026
Ceisteanna (1043)
Freagraí scríofa
The Taoiseach, Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration and I recognise the significance and sensitivity of the coronial investigation process for bereaved family members.
The inquest hearing referenced in the Deputy’s question has not yet commenced and is currently subject to judicial review proceedings. As is the usual practice, we cannot comment on individual cases.
It is important to stress that coronial investigations are the responsibility of coroners, who are independent in the exercise of their statutory investigative function.
A decision to hold an inquest and, thereafter, any decision in respect of the operation of the inquest must rest entirely with the individual coroner.
Neither us as Ministers, nor our Departments, can interfere with a coroner in the exercise of their statutory function. Therefore, it would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.
With regard to family involvement in mental health care, I as Minister for Mental Health am fully supportive of the involvement of family members in the care and treatment of an individual, where consent is granted. There are mechanisms currently in place to allow clinicians to breach patient confidentiality in limited circumstances.
Medical Council guidelines allow for clinicians to breach patient confidentiality where the clinician believes the person or another person to be at risk of harm. While the prediction of risk is never easy, this pathway does remain available to clinicians. The decision to breach confidentiality or not, and who to inform, is a decision of the treating clinician. Any review of Medical Council guidelines must be led by the Medical Council and informed by clinical practice.
Patient confidentiality is a cornerstone of medical ethics, particularly when it comes to consent. Where consent is concerned, mental health treatment is treated no differently to any other medical speciality. It is at the discretion of the individual as to what and how much information they allow a doctor or service to disclose to their family members.
Sharing the Vision, Ireland’s national mental health policy, underpins the support for family involvement, and indeed the support of family and loved ones is explicitly mentioned in two of the four service delivery principles, and are referenced throughout the policy. Sharing the Vision clearly states that there is a role for family, carers and supporters in a person’s care and treatment and addresses the need for access to advocacy and care in the community.
As you may be aware, the new Mental Health Bill will similarly support the involvement of family members and loved ones, with the consent of the individual concerned, by explicitly stating that people accessing inpatient services may nominate a family member or other person with whom they can consult with throughout their treatment and who they can nominate to receive certain information about their care and treatment.
However, as stated earlier, the pathway remains for a clinician to make a decision as to whether it is necessary to breach a person’s confidentiality, where they believe the person could be a risk of harm to themselves or others.