Mental Health Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed)
Seanad Éireann — 2025-12-09
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Nessa Cosgrove (LAB), Labour Panel

I am disappointed, because the Minister of State's response is a bit out of kilter with the findings of the Department's expert review panel.
There is no doubt that there is a big difference between mental health and psychosocial disability but the Minister of State forgot to include the term "mental illness". This is coming from someone experienced. My own family has experience of paranoid schizophrenia. The term "mental disorder" is a regressive step. It is all very well to hear Deputy Martin Daly speak about that as a GP but that is why we have a full team looking at social, psychological and environmental factors. The terminology that comes into play here not only affects the person who has a mental illness, but it also affects his or her family and wider social circle and friends. The term "disorder" is regressive. We are not looking at replacing "mental health disorder". The term "mental disorder" is in the Bill not "mental health disorder". I find it a bit confusing. It is Government policy. Sharing the Vision refers to "mental health difficulties". The expert review group refers to "mental illness". If the Minister of State does not want to use the term "psychosocial disability" or "mental health", which is not ideal either, would she consider using the term "mental illness" as opposed to "mental disorder"?

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2025-12-09/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:26+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-12-09