Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

I am opposed to this amendment for the reasons I mentioned before. The court has to make certain decisions, but the view of the person who is associated with the institution to which the person being dealt with by the court may be sent is not determinative of the issue. I do not want to give a veto or a quasi veto to psychiatrists in these institutions. I do not want a situation where effectively they can say they do not wish to receive a person. A function of the Central Mental Hospital is to deal with the patients sent to it, not to determine in a consultative role what the outcome should be of decisions leading to people being sent there.