Aisling Dolan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have listened to the contributions, particularly from my colleagues, and it has been a very informative debate. I thank the witnesses who have joined us today. I know Dr. Muldoon and Dr. McAuley and Mr. Castillo as policy officers. I thank them for giving of their time.

Many questions have been asked by my colleagues. It has been an interesting debate, particularly on foot of Deputies' comments in the context of when a child's capacity medically has changed and when the medical issue takes precedence, especially when it is a matter of life or death or in those circumstances that were outlined previously.

Returning to some of the points Dr. Muldoon mentioned in his opening statement, he acknowledged this legislation seeks to strengthen the voice of the child. He is the ombudsman and his office is focused on the rights of children under the age of 18 and ensuring that the voice of the child is heard. Dr. McAuley gave some good examples of what is involved in reaching a consensus with a child. An importance aspect is that the consultative process is done and the child’s voice is heard. There may be some ways to reach a consensus position with the child and the parents, particularly in the type of facility referenced. I might explore that further. Will Dr. Muldoon indicate one or two scenarios where the importance of hearing the voice of the child might lead to a positive outcome for the mental health of the child?

Dr. Muldoon mentioned children not being admitted to adult facilities and so on. The challenge is accessing places when children are in acute episodes. Will Dr. Muldoon give an example of what it might look like when a child in going through the process of an acute episode? There is probably guidance available from the ombudsman's office for parents dealing with those dramatic situations but does another element need to be added to the legislation with respect to a crisis, acute situation? I appreciate the detail Dr. Muldoon has provided,including the advocacy role of the office. Those are a few comments. I appreciate Dr. Muldoon has already gone through much of the finer detail with my colleagues.