Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)

This is one of those unusual situations where we agreed the original wording that was in the proposed Bill simply was not strong enough and did not quite reflect modern society. It was very dated. It did not have that modern language that people who are struggling with their mental health need to see. It also did not reflect or capture those struggling with mental health issues who do not have a formal diagnosis. It is a peculiar one because we all want to see the best possible determination, but there are half a dozen different possibilities as to what that might like look like.

We put forward replacing "mental disorder" with "mental health difficulty" or "psychosocial disability", but I understand where the Minister is coming from in saying what she did. Although the term "psychosocial disability" aligns with the UN convention, we need to get at something that is all-encompassing, which those who are struggling can relate to and those who are treating them recognise as being at a level of severity.

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