Seanad debates

Wednesday, 23 March 2011

Mental Health (Involuntary Procedures) (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed)

 

6:00 pm

Photo of David NorrisDavid Norris (Independent)

When Senator Harris says it does not really matter how ECT works, I, as somebody interested in the disciplines of science, feel it does. That is not an absolute, however, because I am well aware there are effective treatments whose manner of working is not fully understood.

If one is suffering and something works then one will do it and one would be mad not to, to be quite frank. However, our experience with things such as lobotomy are so grave that one must pause. Of course one recognises Spike Milligan, and may I say as a professional name-dropper that was not the best name drop. Senator Harris is a wonderful man but one must do it with skill. Perhaps he could have said, "The third time I spoke to Spike Milligan" or "When he wrote to me congratulating me on the programme". If I might presume to give Senator Harris some advice as a professional name-dropper, I do not think he has quite arrived at the most professional degree of name-dropping but I am sure he will be able to perfect his skill.

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