Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

I cannot accept this amendment. The purpose of paragraph (b) is to provide for circumstances where a person is detained at a designated centre which is also a prison. As prisons do not have clinical directors, the duties and powers noted in section 12 are conferred on the governor as head of the prison. Provision is made for appropriate advice to be provided to the governor in the exercise of the duties and powers conferred by an approved medical officer who is a consultant psychiatrist. I will not pretend that prisons have clinical directors, but governors act on advice.