Professor Veronica O'Keane:

I was asked to come to the Oireachtas as a specialist in mental health. This is a national issue. This is the place where the laws are made and where our legislation is discussed. I am giving an opinion as a mental health specialist and I believed that was the reason I was invited here. On the question as to whether my remark was based on a methodologically driven study, the answer is, "Absolutely not." Much of what I have said here today is based on my own experience and contacts I have had with people who have been in desperate situations. I have made that very clear.