Our Board is called the Mental Health Commission (or ‘the Commission’ for short) and is the governing body for the organisation.
The Commission was established by the Mental Health Act 2001, and its remit was extended by the Assisted Decision Making (Capacity) Act 2015, which established the Decision Support Service (DSS).
The Members of the Commission have responsibility for setting the vision and mission for the organisation, with the assistance of relevant stakeholders. They are also charged with developing and implementing the organisation’s strategic plan. The current strategic plan - called ‘Supporting Change’ - was launched in 2023 for a five-year period up to the end of 2027.
The 2001 Act provides for 13 Members of the Commission, including a Chairperson, all of whom are appointed by the Minister for Health. As per the 2001 Act, the composition of the Commission must include representatives from fields such as general health, psychiatry, nursing, social work, and psychology. In addition, the Act states that three Members shall be representative of voluntary bodies promoting the interest of persons suffering from mental illness (of which at least two shall be persons who are suffering from or have suffered from mental illness), while one Member shall be representative of the interests of the general public.
You can find further details of the current Members below.
You can find minutes of recent board meetings here.
