CMH broke its approved capacity of female patients for October
The Central Mental Hospital broke its approved capacity of female patients last month because of a shortage of space.
It wrote to the health watchdog to say it was at risk of being breaching privacy regulations as a result.
Last month a woman was found not guilty of a crime by reason of insanity, and the Central Mental Hospital was legally required to find space for her.
At first, the Central Criminal Court heard she couldn't be committed to a facility because it had reached full capacity in its quota of female patients.
But the following day - October 25th - the court was told there was now a place available.
It has now emerged that day Dr Brenda Wright, a clinical director of the National Forensic Mental Health Service in the hospital, wrote to the Mental Health Commission.
In a letter released under the Freedom of Information Act, she said they were legally required to admit a female patient that day who was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the Central Criminal Court earlier in the week.
Dr Wright said this admission meant they would be accommodating 11 female patients, rather than the approved capacity of 10.
She said they had tried to discharge another patient to facilitate the woman, but that this was unsuccessful.
The clinical director said they were now at risk of being non-compliant with privacy regulations.
Brendan Kelly is a professor of psychiatry at Trinity College Dublin.
The Mental Health Commission says it's satisfied steps were taken to ensure the privacy and dignity of residents in the female unit, after this extra admission.
