In 2023 the MHC launched its five-year strategy “Supporting Change” The development of this new strategy involved wide and intensive consultation with service users, family members, service providers, clinicians, professionals as well as State bodies, departments of state and non-governmental organisations. It charts an ambitious course for the next five years to realise the MHC vision of an Ireland with equity of access to person-centred mental health and decision support services that deliver highquality care and support. Throughout 2023, the MHC continued to enhance its core objectives. These are to drive standards, improve quality, and safeguard service users by working with all stakeholders. The MHC supported the continuing roll out of “Sharing the Vision”, Ireland’s mental health strategy.

The MHC continues to work with government to strengthen the quality and regulatory infrastructure which vindicates human rights of all persons who use mental health and decision support services. The MHC particularly welcomes and supports the significant work that was done in 2023 in the development of a new mental health Act. This Act will expand the MHC remit to include the regulation of community services including child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). The commencement and swift roll out of this Act is key to modernising Ireland’s regulatory framework to support the delivery of better and safer mental health services. The MHC also welcomes the commencement of government legislation to vindicate the voting rights of those in long-term residential facilities. The MHC has established a working group to promote this change and to support those in approved centres and 24-hour residential facilities to use their right to vote.

In 2023, the MHC undertook intensive work to deliver Ireland’s first ever Decision Support Service (DSS). In collaboration with and supported by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, we have commenced a service that puts Ireland to the forefront of vindicating human rights and ensuring that all people in Ireland, who may need support in making decisions, have a service that is focused on their will and preferences. The MHC is determined that the DSS will play an integral role in delivering the much-needed reforms introduced by the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 by prioritising the needs of the individual for decision supports, adopting a digital-first strategy to promote access, and foster a skilled empathetic workforce to deliver and respond to the welcoming and more inclusive attitude of Irish society to those who need support in making decisions. To implement our expanding statutory mandates, the MHC continues to operate to the highest corporate governance standards. This ensures that we are an effective, cohesive and transparently-governed organisation that is independent in function and at all times acts in the public interest. I particularly want to acknowledge the development and implementation of our “Climate Action Roadmap” with the goal of halving our carbon footprint, including greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and ensuring a 50% improvement in our energy efficiency by 2030.