Ms Orla Keane:

They absolutely have to be full-time posts. They cannot be somebody as an add-on. They have to be available 24-7. However, we also have to move away from gardaí being involved in applications. That has to be welcomed, given the stigma associated with people with mental health and the criminal world. At any given opportunity that this link can be broken, it needs to be. That is an important move forward in the Bill. I agree there are practical issues for implementation and, obviously, they are issues for both the Department and the HSE to address.