I welcome the Minister.

I thank the Minister for being here. I really appreciate it. I take this opportunity to formally congratulate her on her new role. I was able to do so informally, but it is important to also do it formally.

What I am raising today will not be new to the Minister because I happened to bump into her at the Young Scientist exhibition and took the opportunity to speak to her about the situation in the school at the Curragh. Of course, I have been in email contact with her office on an ongoing basis.

It is coincidental that the final Commencement matter I tabled before Christmas related to the issue I am raising today, although it concerned the new build, that is, the new school that is going on the Magee Barracks site in Kildare town, which will cater for the students of the Curragh, Newbridge and Kildare. As we know, that project is at the tender stage. We are certainly hoping it will receive priority from the Department. Since the Commencement debate in question, things have become very bad at the existing school building in the Curragh. It is an unusual situation because it is on Department of Defence land, and the Department of Defence is a co-patron, along with Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board, KWETB. This school was originally built for 140 students, but it currently has 300. That is because, with the pressure on the existing secondary schools in Newbridge and Kildare, a decision was made and the board of management of the Curragh Community College was asked to expand its capacity to take in the extra numbers before the new school was built. This was in view of the fact that the new school is going to be built in two stages. Unfortunately, things have gone from bad to worse in the existing building. The school is over capacity. The facilities are not in the condition that anyone would want to see either the students or teachers in. For example, there is a staff room that accommodates ten people but there are almost 40 staff members at this stage.

There have been numerous communications from the staff and many from students as well. The week before last, I went to the school at the behest of some of the teachers and was appalled by what I saw. Three of the classrooms cannot be used because of damp and mould. The issue is that the roof has been leaking, so the school has made an application for emergency works for a new roof. This absolutely has to be expedited as soon as possible. At the moment, the school is shipping fifth and sixth year students to an alternative location a few miles away. It was difficult enough to get transport from Kildare and Newbridge to the Curragh Camp, but we are now faced with another logistical situation in terms of pupils and teachers having to move between two campuses, which are several miles apart. As the Minister can imagine, buses, taxis and so on have to be arranged.

I particularly want to mention an email I received from Alannah Dunne, Ali McGannon and Libby Christie. They speak about neglect, broken promises and ongoing safety concerns. As students, they say that everything about the place has declined rapidly. I want to be very clear. The staff of the school are excellent. The atmosphere of support for one another between the whole school community is top class. The principal, Nessa Doyle, and her team are doing incredible work with students who now come from a much wider area. However, what they are going through at the moment is shocking. I hope the Minister can give us some up-to-date information on this.

I thank the Senator for raising this issue and giving me the opportunity to come to the Seanad today. The purpose of the emergency works scheme, as the Senator knows, is to provide funding specifically for unforeseen emergencies, or to facilitate inclusion and access for pupils with special needs. It does so by ensuring the availability of funding for urgent works to those schools that are in need of resources as a result of an emergency situation.

An emergency is deemed to be a situation which poses an immediate risk to health, life, property or the environment, which is sudden, unforeseen and requires immediate action and, in the case of a school, if not corrected would prevent the school or part thereof from opening.

The emergency works scheme, EWS, operates on the basis of a minimal scope works to address the emergency situation. The scheme is intended to remedy the emergency situation and usually is provided only as an interim measure until a permanent solution can be delivered under the summer works scheme, which deals with upgrade works to the school. The emergency works scheme operates on a devolved basis. Schools manage the application process and the works directly through the Esinet portal, with minimal departmental intervention after approval.

In the case of the school in question, it is noted that a site visit was carried out by a member of the Department's technical unit late last year to assist the school with guidance on how to address some of the accommodation issues the school faces. The emergency works scheme team subsequently contacted the school patron with advice on the next steps on how to apply for the emergency works scheme funding to remediate the emergency issues. This subsequent contact with the school patron included the EWS team providing advice on sequencing the works in a manner that ensures the affected classrooms can be brought back into use as a matter of urgency.

I understand that the school in question has currently no outstanding EWS application for the issue in question but the officials in the emergency works team have engaged with the school authority and advised it on the next steps required in order to submit the emergency works scheme application. The EWS team remains open to assisting the school should it need further advice on how to submit an application. Once an application has been received, the EWS team will assess the application and engage with the school to advise it on the next steps - the team is aware of the urgent nature of the works - once it has been received. The Senator clearly outlined the urgency in relation to this. The officials in the team will deal with that application accordingly.

As the Senator alluded to, the school in question also has a live building project for a new school which is currently at architectural planning stage 3.

I thank the Minister for her response and her interest and concern in relation to this matter. I understood from my meeting in the week before last with the principal and the teachers that an application had been submitted through the KWETB. I will phone the principal directly after this engagement. The school has a good working relationship with KWETB. I would be concerned if the Department had not received that application at this point. Obviously, that is a clear priority.

I want to hear from the Minister that once the application has been received in its totality, it will be given the priority it deserves. She spoke about immediate risk and unforeseen works. This case fits all of the criteria. We want to have it sorted out because we want to have a safe place for the students and their teachers. Ultimately, we want to have the new-build school the pupils and teachers deserve in order that they can move into it on a phased basis, as agreed.

That would be great. The information in the Department is that an application has not yet been received. Maybe work is ongoing. There is a commitment within the Department. The team understands the urgency of carrying out these works to ensure the school is safe and classes can open for students. There has been engagement with the school and perhaps we can clarify where the application is at present. I hear the Senator loud and clear in relation to the urgency of these works.

The Minister's response has not been circulated. If one has not been brought over, I ask that a response be sent to the House.

I will circulate one.

I thank the Minister for her time. We greatly appreciate it.

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, to the House.

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House and congratulate him on his new role. It is great to have the Minister of State here to debate this matter.

I would like to explore the difficulties smaller firms have in putting themselves forward in the tendering process, particularly for Government projects.

In a rapidly changing world, the real technical, strategic and innovative expertise is often in smaller companies and we are missing a trick here. The Government should be able to benefit from that expertise. I am going to use a recent example of a tender for a €60,000 contract in my own county of Meath and outline the criteria involved. The first requirement is confirmation of tax compliance, which is fair enough. We all need to be tax compliant. The second is confirmation that the tendering party's turnover exceeded over €200,000 for the last three years. That would probably cut a lot of businesses out of being able to do anything. The third is confirmation that the following insurance is in place: employer's liability of €13 million and public liability of €6.5 million. There are plenty of small businesses that could not afford that type of insurance and that do not have a turnover of €200,000. They are probably dying to grow their businesses by being able to get some of these contracts but they cannot do so.

I am doing a lot of work at the moment on the hot school meals programme. I had a look at the insurance conditions in the supplier tenders. A supplier needs employer's liability insurance of €13 million, public liability insurance of €6.5 million, product liability insurance of €6.5 million, motor insurance of €1.3 million, crime insurance of €100,000 on any one claim, and cyber insurance of €1 million. That is for a €50,000 contract. How are companies supposed to have that level of cover and pay those extortionate insurance costs to be able to get into the tender process?

I am going to let some small Irish business owners speak for themselves. One business told me they had this exact problem during the summer. They put the effort in to win a particularly good and large tender but were then forced to accept terms and conditions that were written for a very large business, not a small one. Another told me that the employer liability and public liability insurance requirements eliminate SMEs and microenterprises. The business owner suggested that those values are boilerplate requirements and suspected they are copied and pasted from tender to tender without question. Another business owner said that they had been there, done the tenders but had effectively given up on public procurement in Ireland and the UK. Similarly, another business owner referred to expected turnovers of €250,000 and expected levels of insurance that were too high and argued that businesses would not be looking for new tenders if they were turning over more than €250,000. Plenty of projects for tender are highly suited to small and more agile SMEs. Projects could be completed on time and to better standards, thus saving money. There needs to be different levels of tendering that are more accessible to different sized companies. Another business owner told me that in the early days of their business they tried to tender as a consortium for some work with Enterprise Ireland. Their partners in another European country saw the insurance requirements and said that that type of insurance cover simply did not exist in their country. This morning I spoke to a friend who is in the furniture business. I asked how they were getting on with tendering for Government contracts and was told that they spent ten years applying for tenders but not only did they not win any, they did not even get an inquiry or anything to encourage them to keep going. They said it was such a disheartening process. The irony is that they are now actually supplying Government projects, but as a subcontractor because the bigger firms have won the tenders. Another business owner had the exact same experience, where they were trying to get into a Government contract, were not successful but are now subcontracting. The main contractors get paid within 15 to 30 days but subcontractors have to wait 60 to 90 days to be paid. If they cannot win some of these bigger contracts, how are they going to buy the machinery and products to enable them to go for other contracts in the future?

The expertise in smaller, growing firms can sometimes be greater than in larger firms. Larger firms also have extra costs in managers, project managers and advisers. Smaller firms do not have these costs and can be very competitive. SMEs are having to collaborate to apply for a tender. How is that fair? This is a can of worms that is only going to get bigger. I look forward to the Minister of State's response.

I am pleased to have the opportunity to set out what the Government is doing to make public procurement more accessible to SMEs. I thank Senator Nelson Murray for raising this important matter. She referred to the rapidly changing world and to insurance cover. She also spoke about SMEs being both small and agile. I agree that we must look at the issue of insurance more closely.

The participation of SMEs, particularly microenterprises, small businesses and family businesses in public procurement is a key priority for me as Minister of State with special responsibility for public procurement. The programme for Government includes a commitment to reviewing the public procurement process to make it more transparent and to ensure greater participation from SMEs. I am working towards this aim and will set out the strategic direction of public procurement for the next five years. My Department is developing the first national public procurement strategy. Having been a small business owner myself, I am acutely aware of the challenges faced by SMEs when tendering for public contracts. I also chair the SME advisory group, which includes SME representative bodies. This affords me the opportunity to hear first-hand from SMEs about their experiences of tendering for public contracts.

Consultation and collaboration are central to ensuring that the strategy works for all involved. With that aim in mind, last year, the Department launched an extensive consultation exercise to ensure that those with an interest in the future direction of public procurement had an opportunity to inform the new strategy. In parallel with a public consultation, regional workshops were held in Dublin, Cork and Athlone and a dedicated webinar was held with suppliers. I am delighted with the level of engagement from the enterprise sector. Representatives from across the broad spectrum of Irish business have taken the opportunity to share with the Department their primary challenges, as the Senator raised, and work with us to identify possible solutions and areas of opportunity. Final discussions with colleagues across government and other key stakeholders, including business representative bodies, are taking place now to address ways to support SME participation, as well as to identify other desired outcomes and actions for inclusion in the strategy. Once finalised, the strategy will include objectives and cross-departmental actions to support the delivery of strategic, innovative, sustainable and transparent public procurement that promotes competition, value for money and makes it easier for SMEs to tender for public contracts. The strategy will build on the significant work undertaken by the Department in recent years to promote SME participation and to help them navigate the procurement process which, as the Senator knows, can be very onerous. We have adopted a two-pronged approach - making targeted, evidence-based policy interventions aimed at promoting the participation of SMEs and developing practical supports and resources for public buyers on steps they can take to promote greater SME participation and for suppliers to promote public procurement as a business opportunity and to assist them in navigating the process. The Department also participates in InterTradeIreland's Go-2-tender programme which provides support for companies to successfully apply for public contracts. Last November, the Department, with support from InterTradeIreland, held a first all-island supplier event. The key objective of this trade show was to inform SMEs and the wider supplier base of the benefits of doing business with the Government. The event provided opportunities for SMEs to meet public buyers from across the public sector and avail of learning zones covering topical procurement subjects. Over 40 exhibitors participated from across the public sector and 2,900 people attended the event on the day. Significant work is being undertaken to support SMEs accessing public procurement opportunities. I thank the Senator for raising this important issue.

I thank the Minister of State. I welcome that there has been a first national public procurement strategy. I note the Department launched an extensive consultation exercise last year. I am interested to know where that report is; I have not seen it. I know it will form part of the strategy going forward but I would like to have a look at that report. Will the Minister of State supply me with information from that afterwards? To reiterate, for businesses, the tendering process is complex and bureaucratic. It has high administrative costs - preparing a compliant tender can be costly and require legal, financial and technical input. For SMEs, these upfront costs can be a deterrent - the scale and turnover requirements, insurance requirements and over-emphasis on price - sometimes the cheapest is not the best. I would welcome being able to look at the report. We still have SMEs saying it is too difficult to enter the public procurement tendering process especially for Government contracts but I am happy we are working on this. I look forward to it being a lot easier for businesses to tender in the near future.

Significant work is being undertaken to support SMEs accessing public procurement opportunities. I am keen to explore further ways to make public procurement more accessible for SMEs. I will work with the Senator and all her colleagues across government to this aim. The Government is committed to making it is easier for SMEs to tender for public contracts. To support that objective, the Department has undertaken a comprehensive review of the public procurement process to understand the barriers to SME participation. We are trying to identify ways to support and simplify the procurement process and encourage SME participation particularly among micro and small businesses and social enterprises.

As I said, the Minister, Deputy Chambers, and I are committed to using public procurement as a strategic tool to deliver wider societal, environmental and economic impact. I came from an SME, a family business, and I know such people will work all the days they can. Sometimes it can be difficult to stand back and put in these applications, and we have to make it easier to do so. I again thank the Senator for raising this important issue.

The Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, is very welcome, as always, to the House. We are exceptionally fond of him. He has huge experience in here and it is great to see him back.

The Minister of State is welcome. I thank the Cathaoirleach's office for choosing this Commencement matter, which relates to the N59 in Connemara, County Galway. The Minister of State is very fond of Connemara, Clifden and Ballyconneely. It is a very special place but it is obviously also a place where people live. It is not just for tourists or visitors. It is a community for people in the area and we are very proud of that area.

We have seen some very welcome progress on the N59 over the last number of years. They Moycullen bypass, which was opened by the then Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, in 2023, has reduced journey times, especially in the evenings, from Galway city out to the far side of Moycullen through Oughterard, Roscahill and on to Clifden. The section from Maam Cross to Bunnakill was carried out in 2020 to 2021 and I was hugely involved in advocating for the funding to be delivered for this 5 km section of road. This project was progressed during that period and is now complete. It is of a very high standard. It is very driveable, if I can use that phrase, and there has been a great improvement in sight-lines, safety and overtaking opportunities. It is a very much improved section of road. We would like to see the whole N59 brought to that standard. The next stage for which planning permission has been received is the section from Bunnakill to Claremount towards Oughterard. This section needs to be progressed.

There has been a lot of back-and-forth with the National Parks and Wildlife Service over the original planning application, which required the NPWS to have input in relation to approving different stages and method statements. Galway County Council wrote to the NPWS in 2024, basically confirming its support for an amendment from the county council in relation to these method statements. That has been welcomed and allows matters to progress. We are at the stage where funding is needed to allow this project to progress. We need to see funding to do at least the next 5 km and, after that, for another 5 km into Oughterard. Does the Minister of State have an update on progress from his Department and Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII? Is é an N59 an príomhbhóthar ó chathair na Gaillimhe go dtí an Clochán trí Uachtar Aird. Rinneadh obair in 2020 agus 2021 ar chuid den bhóthar idir an Teach Dóite agus Bun an Choill. Táimid ag iarraidh, mar atá muintir na háite, ar an Roinn Iompair agus ar Bonneagar Iompair Éireann an chéad phíosa eile a dhéanamh ar an N59 idir Bun an Choill agus Claremont, Uachtar Aird. Tá an bóthair seo go dona. Tá sé cúng, casta agus tá deacrachtaí ag caranna dul thar a chéile.

The Minister of State has a huge interest in road safety. As we know, road improvements are not just about getting people from one place to another faster. Actually, that is not one of the most important things.

The safety of all road users, the driveability of the road and comfort are as important as getting people from A to B quickly. I hope the Minister of State has good news regarding the N59.

Ar an gcéad dul síos, déanaim comhghairdeas leis an Seanadóir Kyne as ucht na ceiste agus an ráitis seo mar gheall ar thábhacht an bhóthair N59, go háirithe an sliocht idir Bun an Choill agus Claremount, Uachtar Ard. Go n-éirí leis as ucht na hoibre. Bhí sé an-tábhachtach sa tionscadal a bhí an Roinn Iompair ag déanamh mar gheall ar an obair atá déanta.

I thank the Senator for his work, advocacy, tireless campaigning and delivery of significant improvements in respect of the N59. It is fair to say that without him, those improvements would never have happened. He is right. This is a very important matter relating to the quality of life of people who rely on the N59.

The Minister for Transport has responsibility for the overall policy relating to and the Exchequer funding for the national roads programme. Once funding arrangements have been put in place with TII under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2015, and in line with the national development plan, NDP, the planning, design, improvement and upgrading of individual national roads is a matter for TII. The Department is waiting for TII to present its budget for this year. The Estimates process has been completed. TII will ultimately deliver the national roads programme in line with Project Ireland 2040, the national planning framework and the NDP.

It is important to point out that a number of major national roads projects have already been delivered under the current NDP, including the N5 from Westport to Turlough and, in my county of Cork, the N22 from Ballyvourney to Macroom. The Senator articulated a number of significant improvements on the N59. Progress to date has been quite good.

Approximately €502 million in Exchequer funding was provided through TII to local authorities for national roads last year. We are awaiting the imminent publication of this year's roads allocation. This is used for the construction of major new projects as well as the protection and renewal of the existing network. Almost €10 million of this funding was allocated to Galway County Council. The allocations for this year will be made in the coming weeks.

A major priority in the NDP, in line with the Department's investment hierarchy, is to maintain the quality and safety of the existing national road network, which includes funding for minor improvements; safety schemes, such as junction upgrades and road realignment; and paving renewal.

I am very much aware of the status of the N59 as a lifeline road, as identified by TII in its national road strategy for the period to 2040. Like other lifeline roads, it is in a rural area with complex topography and few alternative routes. The Senator outlined succinctly the issue with the National Parks and Wildlife Service. The N59 plays a vital role in connecting the rural communities of Connemara to Galway city. In that regard, I am happy to note the completion of the Moycullen bypass in recent years, which has improved the quality of life for the people of Moycullen, in addition to ensuring better connectivity between Galway, Oughterard and Clifden.

With regard to the N59 between Bunnakill and Claremount, I can confirm the project received an allocation of €100,000 last year. Galway County Council, supported by the National Parks and Wildlife Service and Inland Fisheries Ireland, is progressing a solution in relation to a planning condition with respect to the approval of method statements outlining how the project will comply with the condition. As part of this work, a section 146B application was submitted by Galway County Council to An Coimisiún Pleanála on 30 October last year seeking alterations to the planning conditions for the project. A decision is due, we are told, in the coming weeks. Subject to An Coimisiún Pleanála's approval of the application, it is the intention of Galway County Council to commence advance works for the project, such as the archaeological investigation contract, this year.

I hope the Senator finds the information useful. I will pass his concerns back to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien. I am sure we will work together to advance the project.

I thank the Minister of State for the update on behalf of his Department. It is important we keep this project moving forward and that, subject to planning approval of this alteration, which has been a long time in preparation, planning and co-ordination, work takes place. As we move towards tender documents and contracts, it is important we keep this project moving, highlighted and on the radar of the Department of Transport and TII. For the community in Connemara, the project is hugely important in terms of safer driving for all road users and, indeed, for visitors and tourists who come from various parts of the country to admire the scenery of and hospitality in Connemara.

Again, through the good advocacy of Senator Kyne, €10 million was allocated in capital funding to the national roads network in Galway. It is about the renewal and protection of existing road networks. The programme for Government is committed to enhancing connectivity across urban rural areas and investing in diverse transport options, including roads. In this case, in the programme for Government there is a commitment to funding for new roads and the maintenance of existing roads as part of the NDP review. The plan was published in November of last year. This sectoral investment plan sets out the capital ceiling up to 2030 and foresees increased commitment and investment in transport infrastructure and roads, compared to the first half of the decade. I remind the Senator, though he probably does not need reminding, that the N59 in the Clifden to Maam Cross project is among the projects listed in that plan, which is a measure of the importance of this crucial artery. I look forward to the publication in the coming weeks of the national roads allocation for this year. The Senator was very anxious, as he has articulated this morning. that it is important to keep this progress moving forward. I agree with him in that and hope we can work together to bring resolution to the need to progress the road further.

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer. We greatly appreciate his time. I also thank Senator Kyne.

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Murnane O'Connor, for coming to the House.

I thank the Minister of State for coming here today. I put on the record of this House and Oireachtas the life of Carmel Crehan, who was born on 11 June 1950. She would be 75 years of age if she were alive today. She was born in the St. Patrick's institution, Navan Road, and like tens of thousands of Irish citizens she found herself, through no fault of her own, in a system of unparalleled cruelty and abuse for all of her life. She was fostered out for two years, and then she was sent to St. Teresa's industrial school in Temple Hill, Blackrock. At the age of 11, as an assertive young girl entering her adolescence, the nuns sent her unlawfully to St. Brendan's, an adult mental institution off the North Circular Road. She remained in that institution, subject to its abuse and unlawful detention, until she passed away in 2023.

I welcome our neighbour from Booterstown, Patricia Kavanagh, Carmel's half sister, and her son, Bryan, who was in school with my son. They have both embarked on their careers in law. When I look at Bryan, I see the life that was denied Carmel. Could she not have had a family? Could she not be here today with her son or her grandchildren? These are lives that were obscured, hidden and taken from public view. This was detention and deception at its most grotesque. In fact, these institutions were an archipelago, a system of detention centres like the Gulag across this State, and Patricia, as a great neighbour and friend, brought Carmel's case to my attention. What strikes me as a father and parent, is the love and the advocacy that Patricia has shown to ensure that Carmel's name not be forgotten, along with the other hundreds of young girls and boys that were unlawfully detained and abused in this manner. I know the Cathaoirleach shares my concern about the detention of children in adult mental health settings, that is, the inappropriate and probably unlawful under the UN conventions detention of children in adult centres.

In our debates in this House on the mental health reform Bill, the Minister of State has said she is not in a position to legislate against the detention of children inappropriately in adult mental health centres.

I ask that the Department launch an inquiry. Let us quantify the exact number of children and young adolescents affected. Imagine a young girl who needs to be supported at this time in her life being detained unlawfully in this manner. We need to quantify and remember Carmel and all of the other boys and girls who were abused in this way because it is a very important part of that story. I commend Carmel, a survivor of this system, on being an incredible citizen, neighbour and friend, and a great parent, who, like us, is very proud of her children. What happened in 1961 still reverberates today through intergenerational trauma. We must mark and acknowledge it in order to heal.

I thank the Senator for raising this important and sensitive matter concerning the treatment of children who resided in mother and baby homes and the testimonies in relation to unlawful or inappropriate committal to adult mental health institutions. I thank Patricia and Bryan for being here. It is important that we remember Carmel and highlight the concerns that Patricia and the family have brought here today.

I am taking this Commencement matter on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, and the Minister of State, Deputy Mary Butler, who has been in this House several times recently debating the new Mental Health Bill.

I acknowledge the profound hurt and distress that so many survivors of institutional settings continue to carry. The Government remains committed to addressing this legacy with empathy, honesty and accountability, in line with the State’s wider response to the mother and baby homes commission of investigation. Work continues across government through the action plan for survivors of mother and baby homes, led by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, and my colleague the Minister, Deputy Norma Foley. The Department of Health is an active contributor to this work, and engagement also continues with the special advocate for survivors of institutional abuse.

The Senator’s specific query relates to whether the Minister for Health will order an inquiry into historical placements of children in adult mental health institutions. I just want to address what has been raised with me today. While the Department is not currently aware of evidence of such unlawful or inappropriate placements, any such concern is treated with the utmost seriousness and will be fully considered should relevant information become available. Any consideration of whether an inquiry would be warranted would need to take account of all relevant information.

It is important to note that, prior to the introduction of the Mental Health Act 2001, involuntary admission to psychiatric institutions was governed by the Mental Treatment Act 1945. Under that Act, a person could be admitted and detained as a "temporary patient" or as a "person of unsound mind" following an application, a medical certificate signed by a doctor and a reception order signed by a consultant psychiatrist. The Act also provided that detained individuals had the right to contact the Minister for Health, the inspector of mental hospitals or the President of the High Court. The inspector was further required to visit any patient whose justification for detention he had reason to doubt.

If any individuals believe they may have an historical claim in relation to time spent in a psychiatric institution, they can bring their concerns to the HSE, or they may wish to seek legal advice. I want to highlight that substantial reform of mental health legislation is under way through the new Mental Health Bill 2024, which is currently before the Seanad, led by my colleague the Minister of State, Deputy Mary Butler. This is one of the most significant modernisations of mental health law in the history of the State.

It is forward-thinking, person-centred legislation and represents a huge step forward in the vindication of the rights of people accessing mental health services particularly those who are involuntarily admitted and accessing services in acute mental health settings.

The Bill will also expand regulatory powers of the Mental Health Commission to include all community mental health services and teams, including community child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, to ensure our patients’ residential and community services are provided with the highest possible quality of care. This work reflects the State's ongoing commitment to ensuring that our mental health legislation continues to evolve in line with the international human rights standards.

Again, I thank the Senator for raising this really important issue.

I thank the Minister of State for taking the Commencement matter. I want to let the family know that the Minister of State did actually reach out to me, which does not always happen. The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, was very struck by Carmel’s story and she wanted to convey to them personally her sympathy and her solidarity.

I think there is an opportunity for us to quantify the abuse of children in this manner. The information will be there. For example, in Carmel’s case, she passed away in the care of St. Brendan’s in 2023. It would be a very simple matter for the HSE to do an audit of the records to find out the date of birth and the age of children who were inappropriately placed in this manner.

Again, I want to commend the family on being here and Patricia in particular, because of her loyalty and the very expression of love for her sister that she is here today while we commit all of this to the record of these Houses. We must ensure that, particularly in the context of the intergenerational trauma, we commemorate all those other children and other families and recognise their suffering.

This is really important. As the Senator said, the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, was apologetic that she could not come today. She is aware of this. I thank Patricia and Bryan for being here to highlight this. Everybody is affected as we know from anyone we have spoken to who has been in mother and baby homes. It is important that we work together on this new Bill.

Concerns relating to historic inappropriate or unlawful detention of children are among the most serious that can arise in the context of our health and social care services. Such concerns go to the centre of our collective responsibility to safeguard the people who are most vulnerable in our society and require compassion and care in how we respond. The Department is open to examining any information that may assist in establishing the circumstances surrounding the concerns raised by the Senator here today. I assure him and anyone listening who may have personal experience of institutional settings that concerns of this nature, such as the one highlighted here today, are approached with upmost seriousness. Should relevant information be provided, it will receive careful and thorough consideration.

Again, I thank Patricia and Bryan for being here today and highlighting Carmel. It is important that we remember Carmel here today. I thank them and thank the Senator for bringing this case here.

I thank the Minister of State for her very sympathetic response, as always. We greatly appreciate her coming to the House to deal with this matter today. I thank Senator Clonan for raising this matter. It is a very important one. I would like to welcome and thank Patricia. I recognised her the minute I saw her there because we came across each other somewhere else before. Patricia and her son Bryan are very welcome to these Houses. It is a reminder when people come with their lived experience and see this Parliament work in the way it does. It makes it very real and very live and that is particularly so for Patricia and Bryan. I thank them for giving their time, sharing their story and their experience because that helps to make this place – and hopefully, in the long run, this world – a better place.