Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

I know she did not. I am saying it just so she knows. I said I would speak to it because it is an important facet. It is fully accepted that admission to an age-appropriate facility is in the best interests of the child. Section 10 of the Bill, as initiated, states:

in so far as is practicable, that care and treatment shall be provided— (i) in an age-appropriate environment [we all agree on that], and

(ii) in close proximity to the child’s home or family, as appropriate;

However, it will continue to be necessary in exceptional circumstances, where there is a clear clinical imperative, to admit a small number of children to adult units for the shortest time possible. There is a protocol between the Mental Health Commission and the HSE for child admissions. There is mandatory reporting. That is really important. When any child is admitted, there is mandatory reporting. All the statistics can be verified. Under GDPR we cannot speak to them, but they are verifiable. The Department will continue to work with the HSE to continue the decrease in admissions to adult units, including promoting new care options around mental health for young people via continued implementation of our national mental health policy, Sharing the Vision. I go back to the point that a consultant psychiatrist - a clinician - has to make a decision in real time. If you are a consultant psychiatrist in Donegal dealing with a young person who is psychotic, it may not be safe to move that young person. Many years ago there was a case in which it was not safe for the ambulance staff to move a child to Merlin Park in Galway. Sometimes a decision has to be made; a prediction of risk. That is the reason, even if the amendment had been allowed, I would have been having the same conversation.

With regard to the timeline for the review, the Deputy will not see many Bills into which it is written when the review should happen. I am quite happy for it to be written into this Bill that the review will happen five years after the Bill is fully enacted. There will be a significant lead-in time for enactment of this Bill, as with other complicated Bills that we have.

See this speech in context