Victor Boyhan
Agricultural Panel · Independent · Ireland
“It also mentions the agrifood sector and the importance of diversification in agriculture, the maritime sector, coastal communities and fishing communities in terms of rural policy.”
“I know from my engagement with both the Department and the Minister that over 900 submissions to the consultation process were received. No Member or parliamentarian will have had the opportunity to consider the anonymised version of these consultations, which contain many good suggestions in favour of the regulations and many concerns in…”
“I welcome the Minister and the official to the Seanad. This is particularly important Private Members' business. I thank Senators Collins and Tully for setting out the background and the rationale behind their Private Members' motion. I acknowledge the Minister's exceptional commitment to rural Ireland and his Ministry.”
“I am conscious of the Minister's public consultation, and I acknowledge it and thank them for it, in relation to the Our Rural Future work programme in 2025. In fairness to him, he did not stop at that. I received a further update when I requested it from his office very recently.”
“This will come about through that process. It is for the Minister to decide. Maybe he will do so tomorrow when the regulations are dealt with. However, when Senators are in this Chamber discussing these regulations tomorrow, they will have no sight of any constituent who made a submission. That is my first item.”
“I am pleased to see Senator Byrne in the Leader’s chair. I wish him well in that job. I also wish him well in his new position as Government Whip. There are three items I wish to discuss today. First is the exempt development regulations, which are being covered extensively in the media.”
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“His greatest achievement was when he came into the Seanad. He truly loved this place and the sense of awe he got from it. We remember him at this time. He was a great character and a close friend and confidant of mine. When I looked at this morning's edition of the Irish Independent , I saw a caption to the effect that the coalition would override planners in the row over the Rotunda Hospital. I support the Rotunda and its development plans. In the article on the front page of the Irish Independent , it quotes the Taoiseach in the Dáil as saying that the denial of permission was "the wrong decision".”
“Anyone who knows the beautiful town of Graiguenamanagh will know there is a bridge there called the Tinnahinch-Graiguenamanagh bridge. If someone is on one side of the bridge, he or she is in Tinnahinch in County Carlow while the other half of the bridge is in Graiguenamanagh in County Kilkenny, but there he was. He was the son of a lock keeper and always went back there. He went to London and was involved in the construction and building sector. He was a self-made man and an entrepreneur. He was everything in terms of being close to sport and his community and led from the front. I pay tribute to him and offer my sympathies to Kathleen, his beloved wife of many years, and his children. They were exceptionally close and exceptionally proud of one another. Certainly, he achieved a lot in his life.”
“First, I wish to pay tribute to Larry Butler. He was a man I knew well. I served with him on Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. He had served, prior to that, on Dublin County Council when it arched out into Dún Laoghaire before the merger. I knew him to be a great character; that he certainly was. He was a great colleague and mentor. He was a man who believed in keeping his feet on the ground and keeping in close contact with his constituents. He went on to be elected to the Seanad and he was a man I worked closely with and collaborated with on the General Council of County Councillors, which was the organisation that preceded the Association of Irish Local Government, AILG. The Cathaoirleach put it right when he said Larry's heart was in Carlow. He was unique in that he is buried in Tinnahinch, which is in County Carlow.”
“I would particularly like it if the Minister for justice, Jim O’Callaghan, would come to the House to discuss the report that was laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas on 4 February.”
“We do not want a pause for too long, however. We want absolute clarity on what the issues involved and the changes needed are in order that there will be no ambiguity. I know that things do not happen over night, but I raised a particular matter last week. A report on Mountjoy Prison was compiled by those responsible for inspections, the detention of people there and the atrocious conditions, especially for those with psychiatric issues who find themselves in the prison, and was laid before these Houses. One of the functions of laying reports before the Oireachtas is that Members can seek to have debates or request that the relevant Minister come before the relevant House to discuss it. I again with to make such a request.”
“I wish to raise two matters. There have been some contributions in respect of SNAs. I was also in the Dáil this afternoon to listen to Taoiseach’s Questions. This is not over yet. I will not quote what the Taoiseach said, but I ask people to have a look at his responses, including to some of his backbenchers. This is huge campaign. I welcome that is has paused for the moment. What we need is absolute clarity on the issues involved. I do not doubt that everyone, all parties and none, support the need for additional SNAs. SNAs are critical to our schools and support our pupils in their learning and their personal and educational development. This is a space we need to watch. When people mobilise in communities, things happen. This is a classic example. I commend the Minister for education on agreeing to the pause.”
“Before I call the Minister of State to respond, I welcome the second half of the guests of Senator Michael Kennelly from Presentation Secondary School, Listowel, County Kerry, including their teachers. The Senator certainly has a following. He has a lot of people here today. I hope they all enjoy their day. This is the Commencement matter debate of Seanad Éireann, which takes place every day. Topics are raised by different Senators. It just so happens that these two are about education, so they are particularly interesting for students. I apologise to the Minister of State for cutting across his response.”
“I thank the Senator. Before we go to the Minister of State for his response, I welcome part of a group of Senator Kennelly's guests from Presentation Secondary School in Listowel, County Kerry. It is timely that they are with us because Senator Clifford-Lee has raised an issue in relation to special reading classes for children with dyslexia. It is an important point in terms of education. I welcome the students and their two teachers, Norma Dowling and Louise McAuliffe. They are the first half of a bigger group coming in. I welcome the Minister of State.”
“The Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, is very welcome to the Seanad. We greatly appreciate him giving us his time to deal with the next two Commencement matters, the first of which is from Senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee and relates to reading classes for children with dyslexia.”
“I appeal to the Leader. This document was laid before the Houses and I am asking for an urgent debate on this specific document. It was only laid on 4 February but it is important that we would have it. I specifically request that we would have the Minister for justice, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, in to detail, analyse and talk about the issues and the findings in this report.”
“We saw personal testimony of people who spoke about their sons, daughters, brothers and sisters who are in these institutions and are not getting the appropriate medical interventions they need. We need to have a serious examination of how this is going on and how we are going to remedy the situation. Every week there are documents laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. This is done for a purpose. Many of those are commitments in legislation requiring the relevant Minister to lay documents before the Houses. I can confirm that last week on 4 February 2026, the inspector's report "Follow-up inspection: Mountjoy Prison, 28 April 2025 - 2 May 2025" was laid before the Houses. I commend our Chief Inspector of Prisons, Mr. Mark Kelly on his report. It is a damning report, illustrated with photographs, statements of fact and recommendations.”
“I wish to raise the issues that were highlighted on last night's "RTÉ Investigates" documentary on our prison services. We have not completed the Mental Health Bill, but this documentary raised a whole load of very serious questions about mental health in this country, how we are coping with it and how we throughout the State have aided and abetted and literally threw people out into what they call "community care". Many of them have now found themselves in our prison services. The "RTÉ Investigates" team needs to be commended on what was a very informative investigation. Part one was last night and part two is yet to come. It clearly demonstrated the surge of actively psychotic patients held in prisons across this country. It is exceptionally frightening.”
“Deputy Foley has committed to this and, I understand, has already spoken to the relevant Minister. We now need follow-on dialogue. There is a two-way process. Sending emails and letters to the Minister and hearing nothing is not very satisfactory.”
“It has profound impact on rural communities, including the Minister of State's community and mine. It needs to be challenged. Let us cut to the case by seeking to end the ambiguity: we have to support people, particularly in rural communities, who want to reach out and provide - for a reasonable consideration, fee or contribution - care to a neighbour's child or a child in their community. That needs to be addressed as part of the bigger commitment to rural Ireland and rural communities but also communities in urban Ireland. I am particularly conscious and mindful of rural communities. Nobody wants to operate in the black economy. People want to be legitimate and compliant. This needs to be looked at again. I appreciate the Minister of State's commitment to take it up with the Minister.”
“Really what I am saying is let us get it down to brass tacks: a family or a parent who decides to take a child in and make €200 a week has to pay rates. Let us keep the message simple because that is how we communicate with our electorate: anyone listening in who is caring for a child and is in receipt of money is liable for rates. Despite all the announcements about concerns for childcare and supporting rural communities and families, people in difficulty and people who cannot access childcare or moderate supports, the position is that if an individual - I am not talking about the tax code, which is a matter for individuals and for Revenue - is caring for a child and is in receipt of money, and is making it profitable by covering more than what he or she is outlaying, he or she is liable for rates. That is a very serious issue.”
“While I am not expecting the Minister of State to give me a commitment today, I hope that he will consider the merits of the case, which the Minister for children is also behind. Maybe we can seek to remedy the situation in due course.”
“We have to be flexible. We want to accommodate people once they are within the regulations and meet all the other standards. My ask is for clarity and uniformity across the 31 local authorities in this regard. The stock answer will be that Tailte Éireann is exercising its own functions. Tailte Éireann is not fit for purpose, as I told the Minister of State previously. In my latest meeting with him, he raised a number of issues. Within days of having the Minister of State in the House on that occasion, I had margins of national press with regard to Tailte Éireann. We now know there are thousands upon thousands of issues and outstanding cases, but that is for another day. This is a simple measure.”
“I am saying in the absence of a clear understanding of what the law and the regulations are, this may need to be tightened up in terms of interpreting the regulations. I am calling on the Minister of State to commit to seek greater clarity on the issue and the need for uniformity among the local authorities. Tailte Éireann has indicated that under the Valuation (Amendment) Act 2015, not-for-profit early childcare facilities are exempt from rates, but for-profit ones cannot be exempted. That is the clarity. We all know that communities, particularly rural communities, are under pressure for childcare facilities. We know that many parents living in rural areas could have the capacity to mind one or two children in addition to their own, maybe up to preschool. It is a small enterprise that supplements the family income or farm income.”
“There was a valuation of rates by Tailte Éireann, which manages property registration and valuations, as the Minister of State well knows. Indeed, we have talked about Tailte Éireann previously. The Minister, Deputy Foley, to her credit, as I say, made the case that childminding in the family home should not incur rates unless there is a very significant modification to the building itself so it becomes a big commercial enterprise or there are substantial modifications that would undermine it in terms of being primarily residential - I think that is where the Minister was coming from. There are significant discrepancies and inconsistencies across all of the 31 local authorities. I am not saying that is deliberate.”
“I commend the Minister for children, Deputy Foley, who has gone on record and responded when she stated that childminders should not be assessed for commercial rates of their homes. That Minister of the Government, who sits at the Cabinet table, is on the record and I congratulate her for that. I understand that the Ministers discussed this with the Minister for housing, Deputy Browne, emphasising the need for absolute clarity on this issue and that is my ask here today. This issue relates to a commercial rates issue that arose on a childminder's home in Newbridge, County Kildare. It is not appropriate to mention the individual by name. I have not spoken to her and it would not be appropriate to raise her name in this public forum without having her consent. This happened in County Kildare.”
“I welcome and thank the Minister of State, Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan. He is coming from the Department. In essence, this is quite a simple Commencement matter. The answer might be a bit more complex. This relates to the imposition of commercial rates on childminders' homes. These are not necessarily crèches. These are small operations where a parent may have their own children and may take in a child or two on top of that to mind on an informal but regulated basis, in that it is a professional system. The context of this relates to the Minister for children. By way of background, I will make some points. Tailte Éireann indicated that, under the Valuation (Amendment) Act 2015, not-for-profit early childhood care facilities are exempt from rates but the for-profit ones may not be.”
“The rally call from my colleague, supported by Independent Senators from the Seanad Independent Group, is that we need to do something. I look forward to hearing what the Minister of State has to say and the message she brings on behalf of the Minister for Heath, who has overall responsibility. I really do not want to hear today - and I mean this with full respect to the Minister of State - that this is a matter for the HSE. The HSE is a big organisation but it is a beast of the politicians. We created the HSE and we cannot keep saying to the people that we have no control over the HSE. We control its budgets, we control policy and, therefore, we must influence change to bring about the change Senator Conway has espoused here today.”
“As regards the vaccine's effectiveness, we know from expert advice that a 90% protection rate has been proven. That is the track record. The issue seems to be about cost and availability. We know that in the private sector any one of us can walk into a private facility and for between €450 and €500, or in some cases if we have special cover under our private health insurance, for those who are lucky to have it, and fewer people have it now because of the problem of cost, we can have this. We therefore have a two-tiered system. This motion asks the Government to look at this again and to make this vaccine available for those who need it. The Minister of State and I know former colleagues in this House who suffered terribly from shingles. It is an awful condition. We can do something about it.”
“We have listened to Senator Conway set out all the good reasons for the vaccine. This is being decided on cost. The key element of what Senator Conway said is about equitable access, equal access for all, to avail of our health services. We cannot come into these Houses and spout about equality and accessibility to our health services if we cannot see to putting in place real, tangible measures in relation to this vaccine. The Minister of State will be aware of GSK. I certainly am very aware of it and have spoken about it many times in these Houses. It operates and provides certain vaccines under the national immunisation programme. A deal can be cut, given the numbers involved, and I suggest that, hopefully, out of all this, this matter will be revisited.”
“It is worth stating that the national immunisation advisory committee, NIAC, recommends the vaccine for all adults 65 years or older, adults aged 50 years or older who may be immunocompromised and a cohort of specific high-risk groups aged 18 or over. That is what NIAC is doing. The HSE, of course, has the issue about the funding. What is quite disturbing is that following the health technological assessment carried out by the HSE in July 2024, the Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA, advised that adding the vaccine to the routine schedule, as it was currently priced, would not be cost-effective. That is what it bounces down to. Basically, the Government is sitting on its hands because the HSE has said it cannot afford this. That does not make sense.”
“I welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank her for coming to take this matter. I know she is not the lead Minister but I appreciate her coming and I know we on this side of the House, as do all our Members, appreciate her coming here and hearing what is to be said. I commend my colleague Senator Conway on the excellent way he has presented this Private Members' business. I thank his team and his supporters who have worked with him because I know he has widely collaborated on this. The question has to be asked. It makes eminent sense that we should have a roll-out of a full scheme.”
“They report every day on what we do here, so I think this is really important. The Minister, I and every politician in these Houses understands the responsible role of journalism in shining a light and providing greater transparency on how we do our business. How we are prepared to support journalists is a critically important element of this Bill and it is one of the biggest issues for me. I welcome this Bill generally. I am broadly supportive of it. I think, though, that I have raised some points that warrant further examination by the Minister.”
“Regarding journalistic privilege, and I am coming to the end of my commentary, the Bill outlines a new framework for how the Garda can search journalistic material. In the Bill’s current form, warrants that will allow the Garda to search a journalist's material will be decided at an ex parte hearing where only a judge is present. In Northern Ireland, such decisions are made in inter partes hearings where journalists and their legal counsel are present to make arguments for the protection of journalists’ privilege. I firmly believe that the Bill should be amended to require inter partes hearings for warranted applications to ensure adequate protection for journalistic privilege and to align with the relevant case law. This is very important. I believe that journalists and journalism are important components of democracy.”
“However, it is important that they are cautiously welcomed because of the changes in the provisions since the general scheme of the Bill, because it has varied since the initial general scheme. It is also noted that such searches are only permitted under search warrants following assessment of necessity and proportionality by a judge of the court. The ICCL makes the case that under section 19(1)(f)(i) regarding the power of the Garda to compel someone to provide a password, a PIN code, biometric data or other information necessary to access the electronic device, this should only be exercised under a search warrant. That is the request there, that it only be exercised under a search warrant.”
“The group says each is potentially justifiable in certain contexts, but that there should be legal definitions for these levels of searches. I think that is a fair comment from the ICCL. It is not a blanket “No”. It is saying there are justifiable reasons in certain circumstances and I ask the Minister to take this on board. On the power of the Garda to search electronic devices, and the Minister will be aware of this, section 19 widens the legal framework for the Garda to search electronic devices and information systems. I understand the need for this to happen. The Minister has clearly set it out and all of us in this Chamber understand those needs.”
“Go to the international scene within Europe, and there are different definitions in relation to “strip”, “cavity” and “intimate” searches, reflecting significant aspects of emphasis, nuance and difference in relation to this area. We are talking about the personal encroachment on people’s fundamental rights. We have got to get the balance right. I am not on for being all softly, softly, but this is important. I am consistent about human rights. If you are a defender of human rights, then you must be consistent in everything you say in these Houses in terms of legislation. I ask that the Minister would look at this concern. The ICCL also stated that each is potentially justifiable in certain circumstances, so it is not saying it is not justified.”
“Turning to definitions regarding different types of searches, in Part 2, the provision relating to search needs to provide clarity on the different types of searches, as there are no definitions in terms of “strip”, “cavity” or “intimate” searches in this Bill. Definitions should be inserted into the Bill, and I think that makes sense. As a practising barrister and an expert in law, I think the Minister could see the logic that a definition be inserted into the Bill for clarity and to complement what is already in the custody regulations. I think there is an issue around that. Moving to practice examples in other jurisdictions, we need to look at Scotland and at England and Wales. There are different regimes there.”
“One has to ask the question as to why this appears to be watered down and not included in the Bill. The Minister might deal with that later. The ICCL also makes the case for the provision of the protection of fundamental rights and the protection of children’s rights. The group's recommendation is that the protection of the rights of persons with impaired capacity should be reinserted. I ask that the Minister would at least look at it. I know he is open to considering matters. He does take the engagement and dialogue in the Senate seriously, so I want to flag these as pointers for him to things I think should be dealt with. On the stop-and-search data, the ICCL suggests section 13 be amended to allow for records of Garda powers to stop and search under sections 8, 9 and 10. I ask the Minister to please consider this.”
“There are challenges, though, and people can do better. We must never bury our heads in the sand and suggest otherwise. This is a wide-ranging Bill, as the Minister said, but it is covering those issues I talked about. I was pleasantly surprised to see in the correspondence from the ICCL that I read yesterday that it welcomes the return of this Bill to the Seanad. However, it raises issues in terms of human rights safeguards. It refers to human rights having been removed from the Bill. The ICCL says this is a regressive step considering that the impetus for this Bill was the final report from the Commission on the Future of Policing, with which the Minister will be very familiar, the paramount recommendation of which was that human rights be at the centre of policing.”
“It is also concerned with ensuring that the statutory framework is coherent, consistent and responsive to the ever evolving operational and legal requirements for An Garda Síochána in the enforcement of the law. As the Minister has said himself, by providing an updated framework, the Bill seeks a balance in terms of operational effectiveness and the protection of individual rights and the underpinning of public confidence, which is critically important. It is ironic that we are talking about this Bill this week when there are other issues about An Garda Síochána. I support An Garda Síochána. I wish to state clearly that its members have an exceptionally difficult job in administering the law and keeping and maintaining that confidence in policing. I salute them for the work they have done.”
“I think it is really important, and I think Ministers can learn a lot from this sort of independent research that is validated through the Oireachtas Library and Research Service to assist us in our parliamentary work. It is a really positive statement. I acknowledge that first. I also want to acknowledge the engagement of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, ICCL, of which I am a fan. I do not always agree with what it has to say but it is important. It has taken the time to engage with Oireachtas Members, has written to us and spelled out some concerns and that is important too. To reiterate what we are talking about, the purpose of this legislation is, of course, as the Minister said, "to provide a modern, clear and comprehensive statutory framework for Garda stop-and-search powers and the execution of search warrants".”
“I welcome the Minister and thank him for coming before us today to debate the Garda Síochána (Powers) Bill 2026. As the Minister said in his opening statement, it has been a long time coming, but it is here and before us now. In general, I welcome this Bill. I generally support it, but I think there are some concerns. At the very outset, I draw the Minister’s attention to the Bill digest for this legislation. I do not know if the Minister has one to hand, but if not, I will leave one outside. I took up one, because when I referred to these digests previously, Ministers have told me they do not actually get them. They are usually provided to the Members. Needless to say, the Minister’s party has loads of Members in both Houses but I have taken the liberty of copying one off for him with the relevant links.”
“I also welcome the two guests of Senator Murphy O'Mahony in the Gallery. I hope they enjoy their visit here today. I thank the Minister for his time and I thank the Senator for raising his Commencement matter.”
“Before I call the Senator, I welcome the guests of Senator P. J. Murphy to the Gallery. I also acknowledge that earlier we had the guests of the Minister of State, Deputy Dooley. They are all very welcome to the House.”
“I thank the Senator and the Minister for her time. I appreciate the Minister coming to the House. As a vote has been called in the Dáil, we will need to suspend so that a Minister can attend the Seanad.”
“I thank our sound people. More importantly, people forget our stenographers and our recorders who record the proceedings which we rely on so much. I will certainly be looking at them in a few days time and seeing what we did and did not say or what the Minister of State said. They give a full and accurate account. I particularly ask the note takers and stenographers, and the person representing them here now, to take that back to the team. They do an amazing job and it helps. It puts on the archive and on the record our verbal engagement in these Houses. I thank all involved.”
“We have had robust engagement but this helps the process and I thank the Minister of State for acknowledging the level of debate in these Houses because that is very important. There is always a high level of engagement. What is also nice about here is we have the freedom within this House to, dare I say it, cut across each other, to cross-engage in a very close proximity of the Chamber itself. It makes it more meaningful. Of course, there is an ante room to this Chamber where we also have opportunities before we come in and when we go out to talk to the Minister of State and she is always very receptive to that engagement. I thank her and her officials. I particularly want to thank the Bills Office. Sometimes we forget about it. I would not want to be working in the Bills Office doing all these stats.”
“I also want to call out and say a big thank you to the people who work in the service and to everybody who works in mental health services. Pick up the phone and tell people if there is a problem. If you see anything, talk to families. Families also need to talk and be guardians of their loved ones in care. I salute the practitioners, workers, volunteers and all the other add-ons. Mental health affects all of us at some point in our lives and we never know when it is going to affect us. This is important legislation. We are the Upper House, and I remind every Minister of that. We have a function in revising legislation; that is our principle and primary function in Seanad Éireann. The Minister of State had a lot to dwell and think on. I have to say that she has always been respectful and I hope I have been respectful to her.”
“I thank the Minister of State and her officials who have also had to listen to us. We have had to talk but they have had to listen. I particularly thank the people in the audience who came, some of whom followed every bit of this debate and others who tuned in. Clearly, from the interactions of our emails and telephone calls, people were listening and were involved. That is very important. I want to single out the Leas-Chathaoirleach, Senator Byrne. As the Minister of State said, she certainly gave it impetus and drew it along. At certain points, I do not think she asked anybody, she just pursued them and no one opposed it. That kept up the smoothness. When you are pleasant, it pushes things along. She has an abundance in that regard and I thank her for doing that. We had 384 amendments and 22 sections, so it was a comprehensive Bill.”
“Every night, there are volunteers from two corporate bodies who act as volunteers and stewards. What a fantastic, collaborative community response. Mental health was one of the key themes and concerns raised by nearly everyone I spoke to.”
“The recurring theme among new arrivals into our country who had hoped they would have a welcome - some of them have had a welcome - was that, due to addiction and other pressures that were interconnected in many cases, and although they were crying out for help, the hardest thing was to push open the door to go into a strange place to seek shelter and ask for help. The women I spoke to seemed to be much more driven and dynamic in seeking out help than the men. The recurring themes among those people were their nerves, their health and their confidence, and how they felt with water filling their boots and people literally spitting at them on the street. However, I saw vibrancy and a community response. Last night, there were volunteers from EY and AIB.”
“I spent part of last night down with Senator McCarthy's organisation down on Pearse Street. Our wonderful former Clerk of the Seanad was there playing music. One of the heartbreaking and recurring things I heard from people I shared a bit of food and a cup of tea with, and listened to the music with, was the alarming impact in terms of mental health. The saddest thing that everyone had to do last night was to close the door and push them all back out onto the street. That was really sad. A real live community was going on there.”
“I heard the Minister of State getting up early in the morning and having a great brief. That is great. Leo was the last person who talked about getting up early in the morning. My next comment will not be a reference to the Minister of State. Rather, this is in a lighter mode because we do laugh, smile and get on with each other. I would not like anyone to think that all of us do not. I said to Leo that it was one thing getting up early in the morning, but it was about staying up all day. He took the point. I am not at the end of the Minister of State's whip. Am I not glad? The Minister of State might share with us the briefing she got on the free counselling service and supports for men at some stage. That would be interesting. A lot of people come to me and say they cannot get services.”
“These people are critical to covering the areas that we have discussed here. Under section 176, the Minister of State has huge powers to direct them. She will not use them excessively, but she will use them appropriately as she did in the case of Bloomfield. I acknowledge that and I was delighted to hear progress on that the other day again. I will finish on that because I am conscious the Minister of State is anxious get this Bill through, as I am. I would like to think that we will have further opportunities on the next Stage and that the Minister of State will come back with some glimmers of hope following our lengthy contributions in this House. I will not delay the process any further.”
“I thank the Minister of State for her comments. There is no problem with that and these reports are up. I acknowledge the amazing work of the Mental Health Commission. I have learned more than anyone from the Mental Health Commission in the last four to six weeks, as I did from Mental Health Reform and other organisations. I want to acknowledge that too. The point is some of these are classified as non-compliant and others relate to critical on the second inspection. Each of those seven was covered. We are talking about the 2004 report and progress, so they are a safeguard - one of many safeguards we have. I commend them and I salute them. I looked at the profile of each of them last night and they are very eminent, suitable people. There is a very successful chairman and a chief executive there who makes a very comprehensive report.”