Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I agree it is right to put this on a statutory basis but I also believe that if someone is in that state they are close to the point of alcohol poisoning and we need to be careful that we are not just confining people to a cell when there is the potential for a serious health outcome for them. Is there any legislative measure that requires the gardaí to put them into a health care setting? That would be a concern for me. If we are putting a statutory timeline on a potential case of alcohol poisoning, that could have an adverse effect in the context of their future well-being. If someone is in that mental state, they are potentially close to developing alcohol poisoning. We need to be careful that we are not simply confining them to four walls but that a health care intervention takes place and that that could be incorporated within the law.