Mental Health Bill 2024: Committee Stage
Seanad Éireann — 2025-12-02
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Victor Boyhan (IND), Agricultural Panel

That is what I mean. I am referring to 16- and 17-year-olds. The Department of justice in other legislation defines a 16 or 17-year-old as a child. That is the law. There is legal advice from the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of the Chief State Solicitor on this. There is litigation and trial cases. It is very clear that a 16- or 17-year-old is a child in terms of an offence. What was the advice received by the Minister of State on that? I ask the Minister of State to tell me her understanding of what a child is, in terms of age.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2025-12-02/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:23+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-12-02