Mary Henry (Independent)

I thank the Minister of State for correcting me. I will speak about another Minister, one who is closer to home for the Minister of State. When the Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2002 was before this House, the explanatory memorandum indicated that it had no financial implications. Have we ever heard of any legislation that did not have financial implications? Of course it will have financial implications as the same type of tribunals were to be established.

That legislation left this House in a worse state than when it came in. I will address one of its worst aspects. When it came before the House, it was agreed that a patient, who was a prisoner and had no choice but to be a patient in those circumstances, would get care and treatment. I tabled an amendment to the effect that the entire Bill would hold that a prisoner who became a patient would get care and treatment because it read "care or treatment" in places. What happened? All of the changes were made in the opposite direction so that the prisoner who was a patient would get care or treatment. This is outrageous. All of these reports are splendid but, when we examine mental health in this manner, they are only paying lip-service to a very depressing situation.