Fiona O'Malley (Independent)

I, too, welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, and wish her well in her new role. As a new Minister at the beginning of a new term I am sure she will take on board what has been said and what must be addressed in this area. I am sure that with her enthusiasm she will deal with it.

In a sense one would want the wisdom of Solomon to deal with the issue. This is a particularly difficult issue when one is not medically qualified to make a decision about it. I was struck by many contributions but Senator Corrigan's in particular. She inquired whether people who would benefit from ECT would no longer be able to receive it. In the light of comments made by Senator Harris in particular, it would be wrong if the treatment were not made available. Despite what speakers have said about how wrong or inhuman the treatment might be, Senator Harris spoke powerfully about how it can help people. He stated that if one is desperate, the negative aspects are worth it. A close relative suffers from depression, but nothing like the kind in question. It is an awful and absolutely wretched illness. There are times when it is very hard to reach a person suffering from depression as he or she may not be interested in treatment.

I, too, heard the guy on the radio some days ago. It appears that if these amendments are accepted, ECT will continue to be available. It should not be taken out of reach of people who would benefit from it, as Senator Corrigan stated. Will the Minister of State clarify this?