Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

On Committee Stage in this House Senator Henry proposed amendments to the effect that video-conferencing facilities in the Bill would also apply to persons in designated centres under the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act 2006. I indicated at the time that I had some considerable sympathy with the Senator's views and that I would examine the matter prior to Report Stage. I am now bringing forward amendment No. 42 to section 34 which provides that the video-conferencing provisions in section 33 can apply to a designated centre if the Minister for Health and Children so directs after consultation with the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform.

While I hope my proposal meets the concerns of Senator Henry and Senator Quinn, it also meets some concerns which were expressed by Senator Norris, which I shared, about extending the concept of prisoner in section 33 to the category of persons detained in designated centres. In this regard, my proposal for an amendment to section 34, which extends the provisions of section 33 to persons in remand centres or to children's detention in schools, meets the point raised by Senator Henry while at the same time avoiding the difficulty in terminology regarding prisoners which would be implicit if that route were taken.

On a point of clarification, the amendment refers to the Act of 2003 instead of 2006. The Bill was introduced in 2003 but it took its time to get through the Houses, as is always the case.

I thank Senator Quinn for proposing the amendment and Senator Henry on the previous occasion. I have taken on board their concerns. I just want it to be the case that the Minister for Health and Children remains the lead Minister in respect of an initiative of this kind and that it is not suggested that the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform has an interfering role in the extension of these facilities to centres of the kind in question. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform has an interest and therefore he would need to be consulted on the matter.