Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

The Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 did not come into place until 2023. We are looking at 2028. We have to be realistic. There are certain facets of it we want to see being implemented very quickly. There will be a formal implementation plan for the Act. It will set out timelines, the resources needed, etc. I am keen that we would start straight away. I have already written to the Mental Health Commission and asked it to come back to me on how it proposes to regulate CAMHS, for example. We have approximately 1,200 people with enduring mental health conditions who living in households of maybe four or five people and require 24-7 support. They are not regulated, and I am keen for that to happen quickly. That is important. That is the second stage of CAMHS.

Much work has gone into this Bill. It has taken a long time to get here. I appreciate the co-operation of Deputies with previous Ministers over many years. As soon as the Bill is passed, the HSE will be tasked with a formal implementation plan.

I did not answer Deputy Rice's question on resources. At this stage, we do not know what the demand for resources will be. The preliminary figure I was given in respect of authorised officers is approximately €3.5 million. If the Mental Health Commission is to be the regulator, it will need more staff to regulate the 82 CAMHS teams we currently have, including the specialist teams, and the households across the country where people live with enduring mental health conditions. I am very keen for them to be regulated.

The change in the age verification for mental health consent is one of the things that can happen organically. This should happen more quickly. I hope to have more detail on Deputy Ó Murchú's question later in the year.

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