Maria Corrigan (Fianna Fail)

I join my colleagues in welcoming the Minister of State. I also welcome the reduction in the number of agencies from 34 to 18. In the times we are in, this is a welcome rationalisation provided the services continue to be delivered but more efficiently. It is an opportunity to streamline and focus on these issues in an effective way. I especially welcome the Minister of State's reassurance that the skills and expertise of the staff attached to these agencies will not be lost because the staff will join the Department of Health and Children.

In respect of the amendment to the Mental Health Act 2001, the Minister of State highlighted the specialisation required to ensure patient safety in dealing with involuntary admissions. The amendment provides for expert and skilled assistance. The Minister of State's speech gave us pause to reflect that on occasion involuntary admissions are resisted. The changes in recent years have made us much more cognisant of the circumstances that make such admissions permissible which has been in the best interest of the patients and in accordance with best practice. It is useful to remind ourselves that involuntary admissions can take place only under the clear criterion that the person represents either a danger to him or herself or to others. While the criterion is more clearly defined we have not had much opportunity to consider the admission process. This can be a highly distressing and traumatic event for someone who is quite ill and it is useful for us to consider that the patient should come into contact only with skilled people. The Minister of State's focus on the need for these people to be skilled and trained in this area is welcome. That helps to minimise the trauma and distress and the risk of injury to the person, to the staff or to others. I welcome that focus.

I also welcome the removal of age limits for travel insurance for people who are infected with hepatitis C. This will have a practical and positive impact on people's quality of life. The legislation makes technical amendments to the Health Act 2007 which provided for the establishment of the Health Information and Quality Authority, the office of the chief inspector of social services and a new inspection and registration system for residential centres for older people, children and people with disabilities. While I accept a great deal of work is involved in implementing this important Act, it has a real impact on the protection of these groups of people. I welcome the continued commitment to the implementation of that Act.

The Bill provides for the transfer of several functions of the Crisis Pregnancy Agency to the Department, including the preparation of a strategy to address the problem of crisis pregnancy in consultation with Departments and other appropriate persons. In all the debates on this sensitive and upsetting topic there has tended to be a focus on abortion whereas the real problem has been crisis pregnancy. It is of much greater benefit to keep a focus on how to address that issue. The Crisis Pregnancy Agency sent us some briefing notes on the Bill. It states that one purpose of the agency has been to ensure women faced with a crisis pregnancy would be offered "real and positive alternatives to abortion". It is important we keep that focus. One service that provides a very real alternative is Cura. Last year there were concerns about its funding. It is very important that such an agency receives funding. What is the impact of the dissolution of the Crisis Pregnancy Agency on service providers such as Cura? I welcome the Bill and wish the Minister of State well.