Jillian van Turnhout (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish to speak on the child care law reporting project that has produced 30 new case reports today. Carol Coulter and her team are providing an invaluable service to us. One of the issues highlighted in the reports is the lack of specialised mental health services for children so I reiterate my call for a debate on children's mental health services. We are seeing far too many reports published showing where we have failed. I would like to have a debate in this House to allow us determine what can be done and how we can ensure that children will get the mental health services as they need them, not a long time after we have failed the system.

The second issue I want to raise is one I had put down as a Commencement matter so I ask the Leader not to ask me to do that because it was ruled out of order. It concerns the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Bill 2013 which is stalled on Committee Stage in the Dáil since December 2013. Today, 1 April, marks the launch by Inclusion Ireland and a coalition of disability groups of the Fool Me Once campaign to repeal the Lunacy Regulation (Ireland) Act 1871. It is a 144 year old Victorian law that defines people with mental health difficulties as idiots, lunatics and of unsound mind. The campaign has attracted 2,000 signatories to date and remains open for the rest of the week.

With regard to some of the comments people made about the reason they feel so strongly about this, one parent stated, "As a parent of 3 children on the spectrum I’m appalled at this bill. It’s outdated, inhumane and it needs to be scrapped immediately". Another stated, "A change long overdue! My son is not a 'lunatic'! It's a 19th century law for people living in the 21st century". Another signatory stated, "I have a sister who suffers with Down's Syndrome. The idea that the law can refer to her as an Idiot or a Lunatic makes my blood boil! This is disgusting and needs to be changed ASAP". I ask the Leader to ask the Minister of State with responsibility for disability, older people, equality and mental health, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, to come into the House to answer these questions. Will the 2013 Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Bill be enacted before the general election? Why has the Bill remained at Committee Stage for so long, and what is the likely timeframe for Ireland to incorporate the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities into Irish law, which is long overdue? Families are living with this archaic, Victorian law. We need to progress this legislation and I ask the Leader to do everything in his power to ensure that happens.

Finally, I would like to welcome Raheny Girl Guides to the Visitors Gallery.