Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputies for their contributions and their support to date in bringing in this emergency legislation and facilitating its timely passage. I thank the Office of the Ceann Comhairle, the other offices involved and the Seanad for bringing us there. I will be brief in asking questions. Deputy Browne and other Members asked when the general scheme of the mental health Bill will be published. I hope to have this emergency legislation by the end of the year. As Bills, including different Private Member's Bills come on stream, they take from the important work, though they are important too. There are competing needs. I have finite resources in the Department to draft legislation. I hope to have the draft prepared and ready to go to the Mental Health Commission by the end of the year for comment. Deputy Browne asked when the Bill will be commenced. As the Deputy knows, there are a number of other steps. We have to get the mental health capacity Bill, which is dependent on the decision support services office being set up. It will be early 2020 before that will be in place. That will hold it back.

Deputy Browne asked about money messages. As he appreciates, that is not in my gift. That is a matter for the Department of the Taoiseach. It is an issue with a number of Private Member's Bills which I am aware of but I am not sure of the solution for it. A number of people mentioned advocacy groups and funding for them. I share that belief very strongly. I had a very constructive meeting last week with the Irish Advocacy Network. It was a very impressive organisation to me. I would like to see the work that it does extended to communities. It does it in residential centres. I undertook to work with it in the HSE. I have approached the HSE myself. I will continue to engage with it to see if I can increase funding. I was impressed and think that is a very important aspect.

Deputy Gino Kenny asked if the new right for a patient to initiate a tribunal will impinge on the automatic right to a tribunal already in place. It will not. The patient will still have access to both and both carry a further right of appeal to the Circuit Court if necessary. Deputy Connolly asked me to define "as soon as possible". That is in the Bill. It is five days or eight at the behest of the Minister. I reiterate my thanks to Members.

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