I will come back to Senator Doherty's view on pregnancy and reiterate the legal definition of a pregnancy, which is that it encompasses the period of time from implantation until delivery. The Bill states: "A woman shall be assumed to be pregnant if she exhibits any of the pertinent presumptive signs of pregnancy, such as misses menses, until the results of her pregnancy test are negative or until delivery." A foetus means "the product of conception from implantation until delivery". I support the proposal to chang…

That is right.

I apologise. In answer to the Senator, I am saying that.

I welcome this good amendment. However, the period of time for public consultation on the codes of practice has been disputed by a number of the representative organisations. They have said it was too short and occurred over Christmas, a time when they could not produce the information required. Consultation must be in a form that allows people to receive, digest and comment on the information. I am delighted with these specific inclusions and will, of course, fully support the amendment. However, I think we need t…

I accept, with regard to amendment No. 76, that the wording is imperfect. To return to our discussion of last week, I have a slight concern that we will bring in legislation, the raison d'être of which is to ensure that people's voices are heard, which, owing to the review of the Mental Health Act, is imperfect because it cannot include everything it would and should include. In that context, we relied on IHREC to merely make a submission, rather than having a proactive engagement with its representatives, in the c…

I rise to note a matter to this House and ask a question. Last Thursday, the journalist Hugh O'Connell had a story in the Irish Independent about two joint committees. I will be careful, Cathaoirleach. The committees were obliged to waive privilege to allow members of the Garda in the north west access to their computers. That is in the context of a staff member of a Deputy being accused of viewing child abuse materials. The staff member is being investigated under the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act. I am no…

Is that agreed? Agreed.

No doubt the passport staff do need to be congratulated and thanked.

Now I call on a Senator who I am sure will support me in calling for a passport office in Dublin South-Central, our home constituency. I call Senator Warfield.

Do you? Come back to us.

Strictly speaking, the Minister of State is not supposed to come back in but he can make a brief contribution. I know he is anxious to answer Senator Ahearn.

I thank the Minister of State.

I wish to acknowledge that today launches breast cancer awareness month. We are all pretty in pink as a consequence. I commend the work of the Irish Cancer Society on highlighting the issue. I have lost a family member, my cousin's wife, through breast cancer at a very young age. She left behind young children. It is really important that people check their breasts, that they are thorough and regular on that and that those of a certain age go for their breast screening. It is a vital service. That is really importa…

I thank the Minister very much for taking my Commencement matter today. Medical and psychological professionals throughout the world have stated that LGBTI people who experience conversion therapy are almost twice as likely to think about or attempt suicide than their peers who have not experienced conversion therapy. Let us be very clear; conversion therapy is based on a particular mindset that denies that people are actually gay. It is a mindset that denies people's sexual and gender identity. I am a proponent of…

It would be remiss of me not to commend Senator Warfield on the work that he has done in this area. I also commend my colleague, Luke Corkery, who is a member of LGBT Young Fine Gael and has constantly advocated in this regard. The UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief is Dr. Ahmed Shaheed. Last year, he told UK MPs that the international rights law is clear that, "the right to freedom of religion or belief does not limit the state's obligation to protect the life, dignity, health and equality of L…

Excellent and well done.

Last night, BBC's "Panorama" programme aired details of horrific cases in hospitals in the greater Manchester area of patients with mental ill health being humiliated, abused and isolated for weeks. It was a National Health Service, NHS, foundation. People were being held under the UK Mental Health Act and were all individuals classified as being at serious risk of harming themselves or others. The experiences shown in that programme were of patients being sworn at, taunted, mocked, restrained unnecessarily, slappe…

I echo those concerns. I have received phone calls which upset me and I am not the better for. The idea that a document that is legally binding in many circumstances and is put together when the person has absolute capacity could be suspended in any circumstances is appalling. Has the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, IHREC, been consulted on this? I expected these amendments to be more strongly in support of people with mental ill health. As much as we desperately need to have this Act in place for many …

The Minister did not indicate whether the IHREC has had a role in this. There is also the question of where we stand in regard to the ratification of the optional protocol to the UNCRPD and whether these amendments will be acceptable in that regard. Do people have a right to take litigation outside the State when there is a cultural bias against people with mental ill-health? That bias is a fact that has been proven again and again. Unfortunately, in some instances, the people who are giving evidence as to how they…

We have a difficulty where we apply a directive in one instance and not in another. We currently have a situation whereby people who need the support of the system, with all its good aspects and its flaws, rather than volunteer themselves for full transparency to get a fully comprehensive treatment, will pay lip service just enough to get by, because to volunteer the truth of what is really happening for them may lead them to a place where they are completely and utterly disempowered. Without having protection and …