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

The organisations that have concerns about this are Tallaght Trialogue and Recovery Experts by Experience.

I understand that the Centre for Disability, Law and Policy in NUI Galway, the National Disability Service and Inclusion Ireland have advocated for an independent statutory body. I listened to what the Minister of State said and I understand this Government's policy of amalgamation of bodies. As Sinn Féin spokesperson on justice I have dealt with more legislation than most spokespersons. However, that is the nature of the justice and equality area. The Charities Regulatory Authority is a new body. The legal services regulatory authority that will soon be established will also be a new body. We would not stand for either of those bodies being subsumed into another agency. The independent policing authority is also a new body. Two pieces of legislation which came through this House in recent days provide for the establishment of independent authorities that, hopefully, will have the confidence of the people. While the policing authority is a step in the right direction, I have some concerns about it. Nevertheless, both bodies will be independent. I do not understand why the calls of the experts, the NGOs to whom, as a Member of this House, I defer, for the Decision Support Service, DSS, to be an independent statutory body cannot be delivered on given, as I have just outlined, this Government recently established the aforementioned bodies, and rightly so. They are new bodies being established in the justice area. I am sure that new bodies are also being established in other areas.

Is there a better way of doing this? I know that like me the Minister of State, Deputy Lynch, respects and engages with the organisations I mentioned. Perhaps we should listen to them and make the DSS a stand-alone operation.

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