Mental Health Bill 2024: From the Seanad
Dail Éireann — 2026-04-29
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Marie Sherlock (LAB), Dublin Central

The Minister of State has inherited this Bill and somewhere in the order of 900 amendments have had to be dealt with as the legislation has gone through this House and the Seanad. The Minister of State’s own personal commitment to the Bill is very clear, and I very much welcome the improvements before us today. Regarding those issues raised in section 10, relating to how practicable it is to place a child in an age-appropriate setting, we know there is an issue concerning ageing out of child psychiatric services at 16. The Minister of State reflected very eloquently on the life-or-death decisions that do have to be taken.
I do worry about the future. The Minister of State spoke about facilities being at 70% capacity at the moment but this is legislation that we hope will be there for the long term and that none of us will be back to deal with this legislation again any time soon. The dramatic drop in the number of children in adult psychiatric wards is to be welcomed. We all know, however, what the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has said with regard to that practice. Even if it is one child, there remains a concern that the legislation, as drafted, remains too permissive. I do worry about a time when there may be a shortage of beds and the de facto approach, because no child facility is available, ends up with a decision being made that a child, albeit one nearly entering adulthood, will just have to be placed in an adult facility. I am conscious as well of all the arguments about those in their late teenage years who need a continuity of care right into adulthood. I get all those arguments but it is important that I put on the record that I retain that concern that the legislation, as drafted, remains too loose and is not as prescriptive as it should be in terms of, effectively, outlawing the care of any child in an adult facility in future.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-04-29/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-21T01:01:08+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-04-29