Mental Health Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed)
Seanad Éireann — 2025-12-17
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Nicole Ryan (SF), Administrative Panel

I was listening to the debate. Some of the questions around this were answered but some were not. I understand that it is for the Department of children but, equally, does this Bill not give us the opportunity to begin to legislate? We are quick to sign up in other Departments, for instance, the Department of justice. We opt in on Article 3 nearly every other week. We are quick to do that but when we are bound by the UN and we sign up to something, is this not the perfect legislative opportunity for us to begin to put the conventions into legislation as opposed to throwing them to a different Department as if they are its responsibility? It is all of our responsibility, collectively, in this House to legislate from here on in.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2025-12-17/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:28+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-12-17