Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

With regard to mentally ill people, when I was appointed Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform there was a system of using padded cells. These cells were so appalling to even the most casual and inexperienced visitor as to require their immediate replacement. I have got rid of the padded cells and have replaced them with modern state-of-the-art observation cells, where people are held in humane circumstances. They were not being held in humane circumstances in padded cells.

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