S.I. No. 68/1966:

MENTAL TREATMENT (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 1966.

MENTAL TREATMENT (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 1966.

The Minister for Health, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by section 8 and section 231A (which section was inserted by section 71 of the Health Act, 1953 (No. 26 of 1953)) of the Mental Treatment Act, 1945 (No. 19 of 1945), hereby, with the consent of the Minister for Finance as respects article 4, makes the following Regulations :--

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Mental Treatment (Amendment) Regulations, 1966.

2. These Regulations shall come into operation on the 1st day of of April, 1966.

3. In these Regulations, "the Principal Regulations" means the Mental Treatment Regulations, 1954 ( S.I. No. 99 of 1954 ).

4. The Principal Regulations, as amended by the Mental Treatment (Amendment) Regulations, 1958 ( S.I. No. 267 of 1958 ), are hereby further amended by the substitution of "one thousand two hundred pounds" for "eight hundred pounds", "one thousand three hundred pounds" for "nine hundred pounds", "one thousand four hundred pounds" for "one thousand pounds", "one thousand five hundred pounds" for "one thousand one hundred pounds" and by the substitution of "sixty pounds" for "fifty pounds", "sixty five pounds" for "fifty five pounds", "seventy pounds" for "sixty pounds" and "seventy five pounds" for "sixty five pounds" in sub-article (1) of article 3.

5. The Principal Regulations shall be amended by substituting "one thousand two hundred pounds" for "eight hundred pounds" in article 4.

6. Each reference in the Principle Regulations to section 15 of the Health Act, 1953 , shall be construed as a reference to that section as amended by any Act passed after the passing of that Act (including the Health and Mental Treatment (Amendment) Act, 1966 , (No. 2 of 1966)).

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Health this thirtieth day of March, 1966.

DONOGH O'MALLEY,

Minister for Health.

I consent to article 4 of these Regulations.

DATED this thirtieth day of March, 1966.

JOHN LYNCH,

Minister for Finance.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

Under the Health and Mental Treatment (Amendment) Act, 1966 , the limit on yearly means for eligibility for the Mental Health Service is raised from 1 April, 1966, from £800 to £1,200 and, for farmers, the valuation limit is raised from £50 to £60.

The purpose of these regulations is to make certain consequential changes in the main regulations governing this service. Any reference in those regulations to "eight hundred pounds" is changed to "one thousand two hundred pounds" and a reference to "fifty pounds" (for farmers' valuation) is changed to "sixty pounds".

There are certain references in the main regulations to limits higher than the basic limits for yearly means and for farmers' valuation. These higher limits are included for the purpose of the charges which may be made on persons outside the ordinary limits who are admitted to the services as "hardship" cases in accordance with section 15 (2) of the Health Act, 1953 . Under Article 4 of these regulations each of the figures for these higher limits is increased to correspond with the changes in the basic limits on eligibility.