Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Chairman for allowing me to speak first. I apologise to the witnesses as I cannot stay for the entire meeting, and I usually do, as I must go somewhere else later.

I thank the IPRT and the University of Galway for carrying out this report. As Ms Joyce has said, the report highlights that individuals are being let down at each stage of being detained in the CMH. At the very start of the process there are questions about the oversight of the legal reasons, and why, persons are detained, as well as the unfitness to plead, which has led to one individual being detained in the Central Mental Hospital since 1970. I wonder how many other instances there are of people being detained for decades. If someone is deemed unfit to plead, what procedures or policies can be put in place to stop someone being detained for decades if he or she is unfit to plead, thus making this more humans rights-compliant?