Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am not saying they said it. The Mental Health Commission is truly independent. We have a job of work to do which will happen over the next six months. There will be a rebranding, which will benefit both sides. However, the Mental Health Commission has the expertise in terms of standards, functionality and human rights in this area. It has the expertise in terms of dealing with people who feel disenfranchised and not heard. The commission has the expertise and that is why this is the place to be.

Even if we were to put a stand-alone body in place, we would still be asking the commission to do it for us because it has the expertise. When I met those people yesterday morning, in a different context entirely, and asked them what they thought, they said it was perfect. These people truly are the experts on the legislation. They are not necessarily expert on the operational piece but they have been advising us constantly on the legislation. One of them told me retirement was now a possibility. There was no problem with its base.

I understand the problem of perception. We need to work to ensure the general perception around mental health is shifted. It needs to shift and is shifting. The fact that we are having this discussion is an advance and we have had several discussions.

The two bodies that were set up recently are self-financing. They may need seed capital-----

See this speech in context