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Public Inquiry
Interested in maladministration. Estd. 2005

offsite link RTEs Sarah McInerney ? Fianna Fail?supporter? Anthony

offsite link Joe Duffy is dishonest and untrustworthy Anthony

offsite link Robert Watt complaint: Time for decision by SIPO Anthony

offsite link RTE in breach of its own editorial principles Anthony

offsite link Waiting for SIPO Anthony

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Human Rights in Ireland
Indymedia Ireland is a volunteer-run non-commercial open publishing website for local and international news, opinion & analysis, press releases and events. Its main objective is to enable the public to participate in reporting and analysis of the news and other important events and aspects of our daily lives and thereby give a voice to people.

offsite link Top Scientists Confirm Covid Shots Cause Heart Attacks in Children Sun Oct 05, 2025 20:31 | imc

offsite link Fraud and mismanagement at University College Cork Thu Aug 28, 2025 18:30 | Calli Morganite

offsite link Deliberate Design Flaw In ChatGPT-5 Sun Aug 17, 2025 08:04 | Mind Agent

offsite link AI Reach: Gemini Reasoning Question of God Sat Aug 02, 2025 20:00 | Mind Agent

offsite link Israeli Human Rights Group B'Tselem finally Admits It is Genocide releasing Our Genocide report Fri Aug 01, 2025 23:54 | 1 of indy

Human Rights in Ireland >>

Lockdown Skeptics

The Daily Sceptic

offsite link BBC Gaza Documentary Breached Ofcom Code Sat Oct 18, 2025 15:00 | Will Jones
The BBC breached Ofcom's broadcasting code with a Gaza documentary that was narrated by the son of a Hamas Government official, the regulator has found.
The post BBC Gaza Documentary Breached Ofcom Code appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Labour Tells Nurseries and Schools to Ban Birthday Cake Sat Oct 18, 2025 13:00 | Will Jones
Labour has told nurseries and primary schools to ban birthday cake as part of new "nanny state" health measures.
The post Labour Tells Nurseries and Schools to Ban Birthday Cake appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link The Great Feminisation Sat Oct 18, 2025 11:00 | Will Jones
Woke began the day Larry Summers was forced out of Harvard for saying there are innate differences between men and women, says Helen Andrews. His cancellation was feminine, because all cancellations are feminine.
The post The Great Feminisation appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Australia?s Claim to Have Helped Bring Peace to Gaza After Recognising ?State of Palestine? is Beyon... Sat Oct 18, 2025 09:00 | Dr James Allan
Australia's attempt to share credit for bringing peace to Gaza after recognising a 'State of Palestine' and making repeated calls for an under-siege Israel to restrain itself is beyond risible, says Prof James Allan.
The post Australia’s Claim to Have Helped Bring Peace to Gaza After Recognising ‘State of Palestine’ is Beyond Risible appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link BBC Claims Monsoon is ?Too Wet? ? Two Years After Saying it Was ?Drying Up? Due to Climate Change Sat Oct 18, 2025 07:00 | Paul Homewood
The BBC has claimed that India's monsoon this year is 'too wet' ? two years after saying it was 'drying up' due to climate change. Make up your mind, says Paul Homewood. In fact, data show the monsoons remain normal.
The post BBC Claims Monsoon is ‘Too Wet’ ? Two Years After Saying it Was ‘Drying Up’ Due to Climate Change appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

Lockdown Skeptics >>

Voltaire Network
Voltaire, international edition

offsite link Will intergovernmental institutions withstand the end of the "American Empire"?,... Sat Apr 05, 2025 07:15 | en

offsite link Voltaire, International Newsletter N?127 Sat Apr 05, 2025 06:38 | en

offsite link Disintegration of Western democracy begins in France Sat Apr 05, 2025 06:00 | en

offsite link Voltaire, International Newsletter N?126 Fri Mar 28, 2025 11:39 | en

offsite link The International Conference on Combating Anti-Semitism by Amichai Chikli and Na... Fri Mar 28, 2025 11:31 | en

Voltaire Network >>

Assisted Decision Making

category national | health / disability issues | opinion/analysis author Monday December 02, 2013 22:07author by Sean Crudden - impero Report this post to the editors

Guidance for Mental Patients

The United Nations' convention on the rights of persons with a disability does not confer any particular right on anyone. As a mental patient I have no more rights with it as I might have without it. However the UNCRPD has a political effect. The Irish Government must repeal the Lunatics Act of the 19th century to make Irish Law consonant with the UNCRPD. That old act is long and detailed and makes elaborate provision to prevent the exploitation of lunatics i.e. mental patients. But, it seems, a new law is required introducing assisted decision making by patients rather than providing an authority to make decisions on our behalf.

“Thus conscience does make cowards of us all
And the native hue of resolution is sicklied o’er
With the pale cast of thought.”

When it comes to decisions I suppose the best thing is to think about it but not to think too much. Many crucial decisions are made in a split second, in the blink of an eye. The thinking done beforehand, perhaps, or the principal brave enough to depend on instinct.

I attended a colloquium in Queen’s University during the last snow. Innocently I explained my question. “I do not like making decisions. Is there any way I could get someone else to relieve me of the burden and make decisions for me?” I should mention that the title of the colloquium was, “Emotion and Law.” Quick as a flash a retired professor jumped in with an answer to my question. “Yes, there is a way. It’s called marriage.”

None of us nor any child is born with a steering wheel attached for some kind of driver to steer us in some direction to suit himself and without regard for our wishes. Most people do not like being told what to do.

However there is obviously a dearth of talent where decision making is involved and uncertainty. We have only to remember the Oracle at Delphi or the modern fascination with horoscopes and fortune tellers.

It seems to me that the mentally ill and the intellectually disabled communities will have to be prepared to cope with a litany of wrong decisions if this projected law involving “assisted” decision making ever finds its way onto the statute books.

The angst and heavy responsibility seen by existentialists to be involved in decision making is often belied in real life. Decisions get made and often we do not know how the decisions came to be. Most people do not dwell on the quality of decisions made but get on with life and work their way around them.

When I was going to school there was a very strong emphasis on obedience. Respect for authority. Personal responsibility was not seen as a mitigating factor. This despite the then fairly recent judgements in the Nuremberg trials.

The common market introduced a yearning for consensus and collaboration. Personally I think this was a pious hope and it is more honoured in the breach than in the observance.

The nearest practical example of assisted decision making as public policy came with the appointment in the 1970’s of school guidance officers. The general idea at a political level was to steer pupils in the right direction. Nowadays I think the principal work of school guidance officers is to help pupils fill out the CAO form. If there has been a more fertile result I have yet to hear about it.

“There is a divinity that shapes our ends,
Rough-hew them how we will.”

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