I move: That Dáil Éireann, pursuant to Standing Order 33, and with effect from 28th January, 2026, approves the Eighth Report of the Standing Committee of Selection, copies of which were laid before Dáil Éireann on 23rd January, 2026.

Gabhaim buíochas leis na Teachtaí as an rún tábhachtach seo a thabhairt chun cinn anocht, rud nach gcuirfidh an Rialtas ina choinne. Cuirim fáilte roimh an deis chun díospóireacht a dhéanamh ar thacaíochtaí éigeandála sláinte meabhrach; réimse ar thug mé aird mhór air i mo thréimhse mar Aire Stáit le freagracht as sláinte mheabhrach. I thank Deputy Clarke for bringing forward this important motion. I welcome any opportunity to discuss mental health. Neither I nor the Government will oppose this motion. When I read …

Next year.

I thank the Deputy for asking this really important question. As Ireland’s population ages mental health services for older people need to continue evolving to meet the growing demand. Improving and expanding access to specialist mental health services for older people is something I am deeply committed to as Minister of State with responsibility for mental health, and as a former Minister of State with responsibility for older people. In the community, HSE mental health services provide a national network of 34 ps…

I want to touch on the trial that has been running over the past three years. We all know ICPOPs are a one-stop shop for elderly people where everything is looked at in relation to their physical health. I am of the opinion that mental health should also be included here. We have trialled in five different areas where the psychiatrist of older age is also involved. I also want to give a shout-out to the psychiatry of later life teams working across the country. In the past few months in my own family, I had reason …

I also look forward to getting that information because I am also a person who is data-driven. I want to talk briefly about the work that I have been doing along with the Minister who recently met psychologists in relation to CORU. I will also have a meeting this week about assistant psychology and CORU, which is really important. The Minister is very keen that not only those with a PhD, but also those with a master's degree will be able to work in those roles. I have secured €2 million in the budget to enhance the…

I thank the Deputy for this important question. I welcome the opportunity to highlight this important initiative, which is being led by our colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins, her Department, and HSE disability services. The single point of access will create an integrated approach across disability services, primary care and mental health to strengthen collaboration and to deliver more consistent and equitable access for children and their families. The CEO of the HSE, Mr. Bernard Gloster, has direct…

I thank Senator Black for the amendment but I am not in a position to accept it and I will set out the reasons. This is on the right of a person to continue with their hearing. A mental health review board hearing is discontinued following the discharge of a person unless the person requests that it be completed after they have been discharged. It is important to note that the right to continue this hearing and the timeline to request this continuation are outlined in the information provided to people when they ar…

To expand on the point I was making, I have adopted a youth mental health strategy which started two years ago. It is called the "no wrong door" approach. It connects young people who have a mental health difficulty with the most appropriate level of care to match that young person's needs. Referrals to CAMHS are up 48% in the past five years. We know that many young people could be treated earlier and more effectively. We are triaging it in three areas: north County Dublin, the Inishowen Peninsula and Galway. The …

If the Deputy wants to send on that case, I will have it looked at again. There are situations where there are challenges with CAMHS and children with another diagnosis. In order to be accepted into CAMHS, there has to be a primary diagnosis of a mental health challenge. We have to get better at doing shared care and that is the whole purpose of having this new single point of access. Bernard Gloster of the HSE has been adamant that this has to be rolled out across all areas by the end of this year. That is why a n…

I thank the Senator. The purpose of any approved centre or any department of psychiatry or any inpatient supports is to provide treatment to people who have mental health illness or may have a mental health disorder and to support people to recover and to get them home as soon as possible. That is the only purpose of our approved centres. Thankfully, we have come a long way from institutionalised care and asylums that we had for so many years. Last year I travelled to the World Health Organization in Paris for a on…

I thank the Senator. As we know, consent to treatment is a very complex matter involving different aspects of medical and legal ethics, as well as crossing both mental health legislation and capacity legislation. By its very nature, depriving people of their liberty is an infringement of their human rights. As such, it should only be done as a last resort where it is absolutely necessary for the recovery of the person. Where a person is deprived of his or her liberty, we must ensure there are adequate safeguards in…

I am not a clinician. I do not want to be prescriptive to people dealing with cases where somebody is very ill. I just want to get the balance right. I would like to do a little bit of consultation with the commission in the meantime. We will work something out.

I thank the Deputy for his question. I am really ambitious for transforming the mental health capital estate over the next three, five and ten years. I currently finalising a ten-year capital plan for mental health, which will guide our investment programme in mental health infrastructure. This plan is backed up by national development plan funding of up to €500 million for the next five years to the end of 2030. I am working with each of the regional executive officers, REOs, the national mental health office and …

As I said, the national capital plan for mental health is being finalised. The Deputy could ask me the exact same question about Waterford, where I am from, because we are in the exact same predicament as Cavan. He could ask me about the Jonathan Swift Clinic, the Lakeview unit in Kildare, Roscommon, the Mater Hospital or the St. Michael's unit in Cork. There is a myriad of various capital plans that are under consideration at the moment. I am not going to pre-empt the capital plan. I am not going to pre-empt it fo…

The Deputy is quoting from the capital plan from 2025. I am currently finalising the capital plan for mental health for 2026. It will be published very soon, and the Deputy will see the details. Once a proposal is on the capital plan, it is not going to be removed from the capital plan. I am not in a position-----

It is not a question-and-answer session. I am not in a position to give the Deputy that information at the moment.

On 1 September last year - I say this every opportunity I get - I launched free counselling supports for men across the country. Four out of every five suicides in Ireland are men, notwithstanding that we have seen a reduction in the numbers, thankfully. Every single suicide has a profound impact on people. That particular mother lost her son. I speak every chance I get about yourmentalhealth.ie/men and free counselling supports. Men can refer themselves to it. If all Deputies' constituency offices could share that…

I cannot support amendment No. 121. Looking at the available data from the Mental Health Commission, over 50% of admission orders will be vacated before the hearing of the first Mental Health Tribunal. The journey of every person who is admitted to an approved centre, whether voluntarily or involuntarily detained, is different and their recovery is different. Accepting this amendment would lead to a situation where an application to the Circuit Court would be made on behalf of every involuntarily admitted person, e…

I will speak to amendments Nos. 123, 124 and 128. Similar to amendment No. 122, amendment No. 123 is a technical amendment to insert a reference to the "registered proprietor" in section 49, to replace the current reference to the "responsible consultant psychiatrist", as the registered proprietor will be responsible for the making of an application to the court under this section. Government amendment No. 124 provides for the application to the court under section 49 to be made by the registered proprietor "as soo…