Mental Health Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages
Seanad Éireann — 2026-04-16
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Mary Butler (FF), Waterford

I thank the Senator. I have legislated for a review of this legislation. He knows that. It will be within five years of commencement, which will of course include a review of the provisions that relate to consent to admission and treatment and the autonomy of individuals generically. I do not see a need to legislate for a separate, stand-alone report.
The Mental Health Commission will have oversight of this. I cannot really dictate to it as to how it will examine this but I am 100% with the Senator about people with lived experience, family members and advocates, mental health professionals, mental health advocacy organisations, relevant statutory bodies and I suggest that we come back to it during secondary legislation. I am hearing him and it is really important that all of those voices are heard but I have legislated for a report. I cannot be prescriptive and dictate in advance what will be included in the report.
I hope the Senator does not feel that I am going against everything he said because I am not trying to do that. The most important things are the lived experience, family members, advocates, professionals, advocacy organisations, NGOs and statutory bodies in everything we do. The delivery of mental health services is all about everyone pulling together for the good of every single person in the country. However, I am already legislating for a report. We had a debate on that because, originally, it was to be reviewed every ten years. I changed that to five years. It was suggested by other Deputies in the Dáil at the time that it should be five but we are already there. It is really important that we have a review.
The fact that the implementation plan will be done and different elements of the Bill will be activated first, second and third means there may be opportunities to look at different parts at different times. I am not ruling that out but we can come back to it with secondary legislation and we have already written that it into the Bill. Those are the reasons I cannot accept the amendment.
I thank the Senator for all his advocacy. He has put a lot of time in here and I appreciate it.

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Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:49+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-04-16