Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 15 February 2022

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth

General Scheme of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Discussion (Resumed)

Mr. Joe McGrath:

I agree with Dr. Harnett. My point is that we were in lockdown for two years and some of us do not have Internet in our homes. How can we get on to the website of a support service or whatever other website is available to us when we do not have Internet in our houses or anything like that? Some of us need to meet face to face and if some members have access to technology, they can educate others about the Bill. There needs to be proper consultation with advocates, parents and a good number of others who have a stake in this. There is no point in people debating in the Dáil what should be in the law if they do not consult the groups. They would be wasting their time and would have to rewrite the legislation in ten years' time, even if I have retired from advocacy work.