Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Extra resources are vital and I welcome that they will be provided. Legal aid should be made available to people who want to take a case for discrimination to the WRC. Perhaps there could be a stand-alone body or a separate division within the WRC under a new name, which would be accessible and clear about what it has to deal with in order that people will know exactly where to go with complaints.

The Minister indicated that wardships will be phased out under the Assisted Decision Making (Capacity) Act. A constituent has told me that her son, who is currently subject to a detention order in a residential setting - we are not quite sure why - is to be made a ward of court in coming weeks or the case will come before a court. Surely that practice should not be continuing now that it is planned to phase out wards of court come November. As the Minister says, it will take about three years to remove all those affected from wardship. That will take considerable legal resources. The practice should not be continuing at this stage. Will the Minister provide clarity on that?

See this speech in context