Mental Health Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed)
Seanad Éireann — 2025-12-10
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Joe O'Reilly (FG), Labour Panel

The last two speakers have come from a good place. Their hearts are in the right place and they have made sincere contributions. That is not at issue. I understand the point made by the Minister of State. In an emergency, while it is not ideal or what anyone wants, when there is a threat to an individual's life or thee lives of others, or a high-risk situation, an emergency response is needed. I genuinely think that.
If I was asked to identify things I have been pleased to have been involved with in my life, one is that I was the founder and chairperson of Bailieborough Mental Health Association, which for years was active on a number of fronts and did a lot of work. I was chairperson, followed by a succession of chairs. It did huge work, in conjunction with the local medical health centre and in the community generally. I am very proud of that involvement. I speak with sincerity and genuine interest in this subject. The Minister of State is correct that the emergency provision or possibility of it has to be in the Bill. It is nobody's wish. The two Senators who have spoken are sincere about this. Only a very cynical individual enters this kind of debate with anything other than sincerity. It would be an error to legally close off the option of an emergency response.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2025-12-10/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:26+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-12-10