Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is timely that we will debate the Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill 2015 later today. It is an emergency because of the effects the head shops were having.I commend the former Ministers, Ms Mary Harney and Mr. Dermot Ahern, both of whom moved very quickly at the time. It certainly put paid to the 100 head shops that were booming and blooming throughout Ireland at the time and were causing enormous difficulties and mental health problems. I know the House will pass the Bill today and it will be signed by the President very shortly.

However, it puts a question mark over statutory instruments and ministerial orders. The Attorney General should look at the situation in light of the court's ruling. Far too many European directives are transferred into orders and statutory instruments without going through a proper legislative format. This will give rise to problems in the future because far too much legislation is being drafted by the Government without going through the Oireachtas, as has been highlighted in this case.

I ask the Deputy Leader to invite the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, to come to the House to consider concerns that have been expressed by local councillors, Paschal Fitzmaurice and Orla Leyden, over the future of the long-term mental health services at Áras Naomh Chaoláin in Castlerea. There is a question mark over the future of this service in Castlerea. The service was provided following the closure of St. Patrick's psychiatric hospital, which is now Castlerea Prison.

We have seen many changes in mental health services, but not for the betterment of the patients themselves. It is more to do with cutbacks in the health services. When will the Oireachtas Members in Roscommon shout, "Stop" to the closures in County Roscommon of Garda stations, courthouses and community services? There is constant erosion.

When I was in government - as a Minister of State and a Deputy - we used to fight for issues. We did not allow the Government to walk on the people. The Government and Opposition Oireachtas Members, representing what is now Roscommon-East Galway, are not shouting "Stop" to the Government, the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, and the HSE in removing services from Roscommon, Castlerea and throughout the county. The county is under siege at the moment. As Senator White said, bureaucracy is absolutely strangling the system and the Government is doing nothing about it.