Luke Flanagan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will be supporting the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Bill 2013. The current legislation dates back to 1871 and one does not need to be a genius to work out that the attitude to allowing people with mental problems to make their own decisions has changed considerably since then. So the Bill is long overdue.

Treating people with such problems is evolving, but not as quickly as I and many people with such problems would like. A change in legislation without a change in culture will not mean much. There is a valid theory to which I subscribe that those with mental health problems should be treated in the same way as those with a broken leg, a broken arm or something like that. I believe that is absolutely wonderful and we should aspire to it. However, sadly in politics that is not the case. When I ran in the last general election one of my opponents, a Fianna Fáil candidate who failed to get elected fortunately, suggested that I should only take half my pay because apparently I was mentally ill. If he had said something similar about a person in a wheelchair, I do not believe he would have got three votes in the election. Sadly, he got more than 5,000 votes even though he was running for a party that had destroyed the country and even though he insulted people with mental health problems.

Previously in this Chamber I have openly admitted that I suffered from depression in the past and even at one stage contemplated suicide. I was quite aghast when yesterday in the Chamber the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter, decided to goad me over the fact that he believes I have mental health problems. I was even more astounded that the Minister of State with responsibility for this area sat beside him and remained 100% silent. The Government can introduce the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Bill 2013 and claim it has done a wonderful job. However, if deep down the people in government do not believe that people with mental health issues are equal, it is not worth a damn. At the end of the day if we have legislation, but no one takes any notice of or has respect for people with mental health issues or who might have had them in the past, what use is it?

I do not expect an apology from the Minister, Deputy Shatter, for insulting me because I had mental health problems in the past, but it would be nice if he would. By doing so he might admit it is wrong to abuse and goad people on the basis of believing they have mental health problems. Fortunately, and luckily for me, I have managed to survive that struggle. However, it does not help when I come into the Chamber and am goaded by a Minister about having a mental health problem in the past. It is sick and twisted. The Government Members should hang their heads in shame if they do not make him apologise.

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