Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

With regard to proposed legislation, an important issue raised by Deputy Kathleen Lynch and which seems to have gone by the wayside is a Bill to provide for statutory rules governing the recall of persons released by the criminal mental health tribunal. This has been an issue for a considerable number of years and the Ceann Comhairle will be aware of it from his practitioner experience. One Bill is the criminal law (insanity amendment) Bill and Deputy Kathleen Lynch raised the mental capacity Bill. This is a serious issue which needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency and I cannot understand why the Government looks askance as it does about most other matters. At this stage, will the Government act positively in response to a serious issue which has affected quite a number of people and will continue to affect people throughout the country?

See this speech in context