Mr. John Saunders:

In respect of the question about the involvement of the Mental Health Commission, it is clear from the heads of the Bill that the services proposed arising out of the Bill will be delivered by the HSE and by the voluntary bodies under section 38 of the Health Act. It is also clear that the responsibility for regulation would be with the Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA, and that the regulatory authority will be with the Medical Council. Therefore, it is more than adequately provided for that the Mental Health Commission will not have a central role in whatever legislation arises out of the heads of the Bill.

The second question was about perinatal psychiatrists. Our submission on the heads of the Bill includes an assumption that in the three large voluntary hospitals the perinatal psychiatrist is the person who would be involved in the procedures outlined. There is an assumption that the second one would be as well, but that is not entirely clear. However, we know there are 60 other centres throughout the country and, as far as we understand, those centres that are served by psychiatry could well be served by liaison psychiatrists from general hospitals or indeed by general adult psychiatrists. They would not necessarily be perinatal psychiatrists.