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

Has the Department engaged with Mental Health Reform in respect of this Bill? There seems to be significant differences between what that group and what the Minister of State is putting forward. If the Minister of State has engaged with representatives from the group, has she conveyed to them that all of the issues they are raising with our committee will be addressed in the Mental Health Act? Is there room for more dialogue with the group before Report Stage? They maintain this is a missed opportunity for a significant group affected by the legislation and I would argue they are absolutely right. Why should they have to wait for a long period of time for reform of the Mental Health Act?

In fairness, the Minister of State has offered to engage with NUI Galway on some issues raised earlier. Will she consider engaging with Mental Health Reform to see if she can offer any assurances to the group? The group has been in dialogue with our committee and parliamentarians around its concerns right up to recent days. Will the Minister of State consider if there is any give in this area, or is she firm in her view that there is no more room for negotiation?