The Lunacy (Ireland) Act 1821 (1 & 2 Geo. 4. c. 33) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which formed the basis of mental health law in Ireland from 1821 until 2015.
Background Prior to the act, there had been only limited progress with establishing specialist accommodation for the mentally ill in Ireland. The only such facilities were the Eglinton Asylum in Cork and the Richmond Asylum in Dublin.
Provisions The act authorised the appointment of a Commission of General Control and Correspondence to have oversight of asylums in Ireland. It also gave powers to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland to establish and operate publicly funded "district asylums" across the island of Ireland.
Subsequent legislation Although the act made some changes relating to Commissioners in Lunacy, the management of the Estates of Lunatics and for the protection of the property of Lunatics in Ireland, aspects of the legislation remained in force until repealed in the Republic of Ireland by the Assisted Decision Making (Capacity) Act 2015.
The whole act was repealed for Northern Ireland by section 116(2) of, and schedule 7 to, the Mental Health Act (Northern Ireland) 1961, which came into force on 2 April 1962.
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