Mary Henry (Independent)

I support what Senator O'Toole and Senator Finucane said about the treatment by the press of a witness to the very sad event outside Club Anabel. It is dreadful to see a young woman who has nothing to do with the case, apart from being a witness, treated in such a manner. It will certainly deter people from coming forward in future in regard to other cases if they think they will be treated like that woman.

I am sure the Seanad noted that 19 February was the first anniversary of the Second Stage debate on the Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill. I am not asking the Leader to make any further effort to bring Committee Stage before this House, but I ask her to request the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to attend the House to discuss the current serious problems regarding health in the Prison Service. General prison doctors are about to go on strike because they are so appalled by the circumstances under which prisoners are held and under which doctors must work. Moreover, 31 beds in the Central Mental Hospital are closed because of a capping policy on recruitment. At the same time, there are prisoners in padded cells who are seriously psychiatrically ill and should not be there, as all Members of the House would agree. What sort of a regime are we running in this country regarding seriously ill people in our prisons with the beds in which they could be adequately treated closed down and the people are held in conditions which we are repeatedly told by the Council of Europe committee on inhuman treatment and torture are totally unsuitable?