Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am speaking to amendments Nos. 122 and 123. This is in line with recommendations from Mental Health Reform which welcomes the provisions in the Bill regarding co-decision-making and decision-making representatives. In order to protect the independence and integrity of the position of co-decision-makers and decision-making representatives, it is important that the list of persons who cannot act as co-decision-makers or decision-making representatives, be extended to include staff of approved centres as designated under the Mental Health Act 2001 in which a person is a patient. Obviously, that does not include a member of staff who is a next of kin or spouse. That is the rationale for the amendment.