Rónán Mullen (Independent)

I support Senator Fitzgerald's amendment. It is very easy to include in legislation phrases such as "as soon as is reasonably possible" when what we want to promote in all aspects of care, in particular care of older persons in our society, is a culture of excellence, dispatch and thoroughness. I support the amendment on that basis. There should be minimal delay in this regard. Only if we set out clearly in legislation what we require will we get to the stage where matters are handled with appropriate dispatch given the importance of the decisions involved.