Imagine a justice system where the most vulnerable are locked away, not because they’re dangerous, but because there’s simply nowhere else for them to go. This is the stark reality for many mentally ill individuals in Ireland, and it’s a crisis that’s only getting worse. Following RTÉ Investigates’ eye-opening documentary on acute psychiatric care, the nation is grappling with a deeply troubling question: How did we let this happen, and what can we do to fix it?
The documentary exposed a shocking trend: an increasing number of people with severe mental illnesses are being incarcerated, often due to a lack of available hospital beds. But here’s where it gets controversial: Is this a failure of the healthcare system, the justice system, or both? Within hours of the final episode, government officials were under fire, forced to confront whether their priorities need a drastic overhaul.
Just eleven hours after the series concluded, key figures in Ireland’s mental health policy gathered in the basement of Leinster House. Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeil and Junior Minister Mary Butler faced the Oireachtas Health Committee, where they were inevitably grilled about the growing number of mentally ill individuals behind bars. Minister Butler defended the government’s approach, pointing to in-reach psychiatric services in ten out of twelve prisons and plans to expand these services. She also highlighted the Programme for Government’s proposal to create an 'approved centre' within a prison wing, essentially a hospital where anti-psychotic treatment could be administered as needed.
And this is the part most people miss: While these measures sound promising, critics argue they’re merely band-aid solutions. Professionals in the sector told RTÉ Investigates that many of these individuals should never have been in prison in the first place. Some are on growing waiting lists for the Central Mental Hospital (CMH), while others are detained for minor offenses directly linked to their mental health conditions.
Minister Butler insisted, 'There is not a lack of services,' and reminded the public that 'many people in prison have committed crimes.' But Labour Party health spokesperson Marie Sherlock countered with a thought-provoking question: To what extent are these crimes a symptom of untreated mental illness? She cited the case of someone talking to a wall in Dublin Airport, who ended up in jail. 'There’s a difference between a minor crime due to mental health and murdering somebody,' she said. 'People are ending up in jail because of their disorder.'
One such case was Johnbull Omoragbon, a 52-year-old Nigerian-born Spanish citizen and father of four. Arrested after refusing to leave Garda offices in Dublin Airport and observed talking to a wall, he was imprisoned in Cloverhill Prison. Despite being psychotic and unable to engage with the court process, he was detained because no psychiatric hospital bed was available. Tragically, he died in prison, just a day before a bed was due to become available. His story is not unique; it’s one of hundreds reviewed by RTÉ Investigates since 2012.
Here’s where it gets even more contentious: The Council of Europe’s Committee on the Prevention of Torture (CPT) flagged Omoragbon’s case, noting he was placed in a Close Supervision punishment cell due to his mental illness, not because he was disruptive. The CPT’s president, Alan Mitchell, called it a 'very obvious red flag.' Omoragbon’s family, speaking from Spain, shared their heartbreak. His wife, Edith, described him as a devout Christian who would have helped anyone, yet when he needed help, no one was there.
The Chief Inspector of Prisons, Mark Kelly, highlighted a 20-year-old government policy called 'A Vision for Change,' which aimed to address such cases. However, it was never fully implemented due to lack of funding and planning. The policy included plans for regional Intensive Care Recovery Units and forensic mental health teams, but today, there are fewer than 20 Intensive Care Recovery beds in the country, and no regional forensic teams exist.
This raises a critical question: Why are we still failing to implement solutions that were identified two decades ago? Minister Butler shifted the focus to the government’s updated plan, 'Sharing the Vision,' which she claims has better oversight and accountability. But is this enough? Professor Conor O'Neill, who leads psychiatric services in Cloverhill Prison, painted a grim picture: the number of psychotic individuals in the prison far exceeds the available medical beds, and many are detained for low-level crimes with no alternative care options.
Stories like Ivan Rosney’s, a 36-year-old father who died in custody after being restrained by prison officers, further underscore the urgency of this crisis. His daughter, Courtney, has been fighting for answers, only to be met with silence. It took public outcry and media pressure for the investigation report into his death to be released, which revealed 'deep reservations' about the restraint methods used.
As we grapple with these issues, one thing is clear: the system is failing those who need it most. But here’s the real question: Are we willing to confront the hard truths and make the necessary changes, or will we continue to turn a blind eye? What do you think? Is this a healthcare crisis, a justice system failure, or both? Let’s start the conversation—because the lives of the most vulnerable depend on it.
