Mental Health Bill 2024: From the Seanad
Dail Éireann — 2026-04-29
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Sorca Clarke (SF), Longford-Westmeath

I acknowledge the very hard work that has gone into producing what is a Bill of phenomenal size over the past number of years. I also acknowledge the engagement of all the stakeholders with my office and, previously, with Deputy Ward's office. That has not gone unnoticed and is very welcome.
I wish to raise one final issue with the Minister of State. I raise it from a political perspective and almost as a personal plea at this point. I ask the Minister of State to look at the possibility of having an interim review after 2.5 years. We debated the latter on Committee Stage. Five years is too long to wait for a review. Yes, this Bill is coming 20-odd years after the previous legislation. I do not think there is one person sitting in this room who was born when the Act previous to that was introduced. I am compelled to say that if gaps arise in this Bill, they are going to arise immediately. Five years is a little too long to wait for the review. There is merit for an interim review, whether it is in the context of delays, staffing pressures, access to the advocacy or the pathways after somebody leaves their time as a in-patient. This Bill will change a lot in the area of mental health. I ask the Minister of State to please consider having an interim review, particularly in light of the complexity and scale of the legislation. I would not like to think that one person would feel they were somehow failed along the path as a result of the need to wait five years for the review.

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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