Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I note the Minister of State's comment. Obviously, there is a big gap between three years and six months and we need to close that gap when the Bill is taken in the Seanad.

The Minister of State made a generous offer that her officials - she is busy - who are working on the legislation can meet the parliamentarians and perhaps they would meet the following NGOs which are working on this: Tallaght Trialogue, Recovery Experts by Experience, Mental Health Reform, Inclusion Ireland and the Centre for Disability Law and Policy at NUI Galway. The Members of the Houses rely on civic society to give their input as part of the legislative process, and all my amendments were framed based on their advice. I appreciate that the Minister of State is engaging well. If she could agree that her officials could meet, perhaps next week when the Houses are not sitting, those named civic society groups to take on board their advice ahead of the Bill being taken in the Seanad, I will withdraw the amendments.

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